UCLA Law’s Promise Institute Europe Announces Inaugural Conference on International Human Rights and Environmental Protection

Amsterdam event will feature leading voices on ecocide, the rights of nature and racial and environmental justice

AMSTERDAM, May 17, 2024 - UCLA School of Law today announced the launch of The Promise Institute Europe conference, a three-day event that seeks to explore and harness the law’s transformative power, reimagined through the lens of racial and environmental justice, to confront the environmental challenges of our time. The conference will be held May 27-29 at the Hotel Arena in Amsterdam, and is co-organized with the University of Amsterdam Law School.

As the relationship between environmental destruction and human rights have become more prominent, “The Promise of International Law in the Face of Ecological Crises” will bring together leading voices in international law and environmental protection to examine how legal mechanisms can be employed to prevent environmental degradation and protect vulnerable ecosystems and communities, food sovereignty and cultural rights in times of peace and conflict. This is a unique year for international law, human rights and climate change, with advisory opinions from three international courts — the Inter-American Court of Human Rights; the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea, and the International Court of Justice — expected in the coming months.

“This is a pivotal year for international law, human rights and climate justice as our leading international courts turn their attention to the ecological crisis,” said Kate Mackintosh, executive director, UCLA Law Promise Institute Europe. “We need to seize the full potential of this moment to realise the transformational promise of international law, and build towards a just and sustainable future.”

At the conference, legal and environmental experts from across the globe will take stock of progress, foster dialogue that bridges theory with actionable strategies, and propel the promise of international law into a new era of multi-species care, kinship and justice. Speakers will include

• Volker Turk, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights

• Emmanuel Awuku, Legal Counsel, Organization of African, Caribbean and Pacific States

• Nicole Ponce, Campaigner, World Youth for Climate Justice

• Nazhat  Shameem Khan, Deputy Prosecutor, International Criminal Court

• Shaista Shameem, Vice-Chancellor, University of Fiji; Chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee, Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS) Committee of Legal Experts

• David Berry - Professor of International Law and Regional Integration Law, Faculty of Law, The University of the West Indies

• Shobha Maharaj, Climate Scientist, Science Director, Terraformation

• Maximo Langer, UCLA Law Professor

• Michale Kakande, founder, The Resilient 40 – a youth voice for a climate resilient Africa

• Fleur Ramsay, Blue Ocean Law

• Solomon Yeo, Campaign Director, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change

The event also marks the launch of the UCLA Law Promise Institute Europe, a new initiative dedicated to advancing the role of international law and human rights in addressing pressing global issues. Located in The Hague, the UCLA Law Promise Institute Europe furthers the groundbreaking work of the school’s Promise Institute for Human Rights, broadening the international platform for UCLA’s research, teaching and advocacy. It provides significant and unique training opportunities for UCLA Law students who are interested in international law and human rights.

To learn more about “The Promise of International Law in the Face of Ecological Crises” conference and to register to attend, please visit https://www.promiseeurope.law.ucla.edu/.

For press inquiries, interviews and press passes to the event, please contact our press officer through uclapromiseeurope@law.ucla.edu