Este
reporte fue elaborado por Oswaldo Ruiz-Chiriboga.
El
Centro de Derechos Humanos de la Universidad de Gante (Universiteit Gent), Bélgica, emitió una convocatoria para un
investigador doctoral (PhD researcher)
sobre el tema “Optimizing access for
users to international human rights mechanisms”. A continuación se transcribe la convocatoria:
General description of research project
The
Human Rights Centre, based at the Faculty of Law of Ghent University (Belgium)
is looking for a PhD research fellow to work during 4 years on a research
project “Optimizing access for users to international human rights mechanisms”.
The
project will examine the procedural dimensions of human rights integration,
with a focus on international complaint procedures. While monitoring bodies
such as the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission
and Court on Human Rights are confronted with huge amounts of incoming
petitions, individual petitioners and particular members of vulnerable groups
still experience practical and legal obstacles hindering them to effectively
bring and pursue cases of alleged human rights violations. The problems faced by individuals as well as
groups petitioning the two main regional human rights systems will be examined
and commented from a 360° scale perspective, using comparative methods. Adopting an open and creative approach to the topic,
a wide range of possible scenarios to improve the user’s access to the
different systems will be investigated. These include the creation of class
action models to accomodate larger groups of petitioners (going beyond the
instrument of pilot judgments) and the feasability and possible structure of a
fully judge-driven preliminary ruling-system next to or in replacement of the
current complaints mechanisms. The research will formulate clear-cut and substantiated
proposals reconciling optimal access with the need of procedural efficiency and
an efficient management of incoming cases. Particular attention will be paid to examining
to what extent solutions and strategies developed within one system – whether
it is regional, universal or national – may benefit another.
Within
this framework, a PhD topic will be identified in collaboration with the
researcher. The researcher will work
under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Yves
Haeck and will benefit from membership of the intellectual stimulating
environment offered by the Human Rights Centre.
Larger research framework
The
research project is part of a larger framework project, entitled “The Global
Challenge of Human Rights Integration: Toward a Users’ Perspective”,
coordinated by Ghent University’s Human Rights Centre, and comprising a
collaboration with Utrecht University (UU), the Free University of Brussels (VUB),
the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), the University of Antwerp (UA) and the
Facultés Universitaires Saint Louis (FUSL).
Starting
point of the proposed research is the finding that both rights holders and duty
bearers under human rights norms are confronted simultaneously with a multitude
of human rights provisions differing as to their scope, focus, legal force and
level of governance. This non-hierarchical accumulation of human rights
provisions has resulted in a complex and uncoordinated legal architecture that
may in some circumstances create obstacles for effective human rights
protection. The central research
objective of the proposed network is the study of human rights law as an integrated
whole from a users’ perspective.
Within
this framework, the network of researchers will be pursuing 7 ambitious
research goals: (1) Develop theoretical and conceptual frameworks capturing the
multilayered nature of human rights law; (2) Analyse users’ trajectories
through the complex architecture of human rights law; (3) Explore actual and potential bridges between
different layers of human rights law; (4) Determine how to maximize the added
value of one specific layer of human rights law; (5) Define optimal conditions
of access for users navigating through international human rights mechanisms (i.e.,
the above-mentioned project); (6) Investigate the tension between divergence
and coherence in human rights law in theory and practice; (7) Investigate the
interaction between human rights law and its next-door neighbours:
international humanitarian law and international criminal law.
Profile of the PhD research fellow
Minimum
requirements of candidate
-
Master in Law (Licentiate in Law/Law Degree) obtained with good grades;
-
Good knowledge of and insight in international human rights law, especially the
Inter-American and the European Court of Human Rights;
-
Fluency in written and spoken English and preferably in spoken Spanish;
knowledge of another language or languages is an asset;
-
Good writing skills.
Ideal
profile of candidate
The
ideal candidate for the research fellowship speaks fluent English and Spanish,
is a Master in Law (Licentiate in Law/Law Degree) with good grades, has an LLM
in international human rights law with good grades, and is familiar with the
functioning and the case-law of the Inter-American and the European Court of
Human Rights, as well as other systems. She/he has good research and writing skills
and is familiar with social science research methodology.
More
information can be obtained from Prof. Dr. Yves Haeck: Yves.Haeck@UGent.be
Research environment
Ghent University is a major university in
Belgium with an excellent international research reputation.
It distinguishes itself as a socially
committed and pluralistic university in a broad international perspective. Ghent University is situated in the beautiful
historic city of Ghent. The research
fellow will belong to a team of researchers at the Human Rights Centre, which
is part of the Faculty of Law, and specialised in regional and universal human
rights systems.
The
Human Rights Centre is currently composed of 45 researchers from all over the
globe (at the level of professor, postdoctoral or doctoral researchers). The Human Rights Centre works closely together
with African, European and Latin-American based universities, institutes and
research centres, united in the Latin-American and European Network on Human
Rights. Its members host a number of
influential blogs on the functioning and the case law of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights,
on the case law of the European Court
of Human Rights, and on the top
international human rights courses and traineeships in Europe. The Human
Rights Centre also edits the “Inter-American & European Human Rights
Journal / Revista Interamericana & Europea de Derechos Humanos”
(Intersentia Publishers), a journal that aims to offer an international
platform for research in the field of human rights of relevance for (Latin) America
and Europe.
The
PhD research fellow will often meet with the researchers involved in the global
project to discuss common issues and organize events related to the project.
Starting date of the project and salary of the PhD
research fellow
-
Starting date: 1 October 2012.
- PhD
grant: 4 years PhD research fellowship,
approx. 1.800 € net/month (tax free).
Application
If
you wish to apply for the PhD research fellowship, please submit the following
documents:
- a
letter of motivation;
- an
extensive curriculum vitae, including study results (per year and overall);
- two
letters of reference;
- a
sample (5 pages) of your writing skills (preferably in English or Spanish) on a
human rights topic.
The
documents have to be submitted through e-mail to Prof. Dr. Yves Haeck: Yves.Haeck@UGent.be
Deadline for submitting application
1
August 2012.
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