When the Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in 1948, it was presented as a self-evident framework for the relation between the state and individuals and communities.

The Chinese model of rapid development together with an authoritarian political system presents a different view toward human rights. Middle-Eastern countries with authoritarian rulers use a language of democracy as window-dressing, and in Africa rulers like Museveni, Kagame, and Mugabe, are increasingly looking for presidency-for-life. Do these developments challenge the universality of human rights?

Speaker: Willem van Genugten is Professor of International Law at Tilburg University, the Netherlands. He is also Chair of the Human Rights Committee of the Advisory Council on International Affairs of the Dutch government.

Date: Monday 18 October 2010 / Location: Auditorium, VU University, De
Boelelaan 1105, Amsterdam / Time: 18:15h-19:45h / Language: English /
Admission: Free
Registration recommended through sid-nl@socires.nl or 070-3383293
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