News and Events
Sydney Ideas - Human Rights and Democratisation Special Lecture Series
The Faculty of Arts and Sydney Ideas are pleased to announce a series of free, special public lectures exploring aspects of human rights and democratisation. This special lecture series will feature keynote speeches by internationally renowned human rights experts, including the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, Adj. Professor Chris Sidoti and Professor Brian Burdekin AO, who will draw on their extensive expertise and experience to examine the opportunities for, and challenges of, promoting human rights at the regional level in the Asia Pacific today. The first lecture will commence this Monday, 9 August from 1.00-2.00pm in the Law School Foyer, Eastern Avenue, University of Sydney. map code:F10.
Professor Burdekin’s lecture, entitled “Giving Teeth to International Human Rights Treaties: Commissions, Courts and Corporations - A Practitioner's Perspective, will consider recent international developments in protecting human rights with reference, in particular, to developments in Australia, Africa, Europe, China, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Korea and other Asian countries where he has recently been advising Governments, Commissions and civil society.
Professor Burdekin is Visiting Professor at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute in Sweden and International Adviser to a number of National Human Rights Institutions in Africa, Asia and Central and Eastern Europe. From 1995 to 2003, as Special Adviser on National Institutions to the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, he conducted over 200 missions to 55 countries where governments or civil society had expressed interest in creating an independent Human Rights Commission or similar institution. Prior to taking up his appointment with the United Nations, Professor Burdekin was, from 1986 to 1994, the Federal Human Rights Commissioner of Australia. In this capacity, he conducted major national inquiries into the systemic abuse of particularly vulnerable groups – including the homeless, mentally ill and people with disabilities. From 1978 to 1986 he served as adviser to a former Australian Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and Federal Attorney General. Prior to this he was a diplomat and lawyer. In 1995 Professor Burdekin was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for his services to human rights, both in Australia and in other countries. He is generally considered to be the leading international expert on National Human Rights Institutions.
These lectures are open to all students, staff and members of the general public and no RSVP is required.
Sydney Ideas – Human Rights and Democratisation Lecture Series
20 August – UNDP Global Community on HIV and the Law
The Hon Mr Michael Kirby AC CMG
3.30-5.00pm New Law School Lecture Theatre 101
10 September - India, Indigenous Issues and Local Empowerment
Prof Debal Singha Roy, Indira Gandhi National Open University, India
3.30-5.00pm Law School Foyer
15 October - What Can We Learn from the History of Human Rights?
Prof Glenda Sluga, University of Sydney
3.30-5.00pm New Law School Lecture Theatre 104
22 October – Australia’s Ambivalence Towards Human Rights
Adj. Prof Chris Sidoti, Visiting Professor at the University of Western Sydney and Griffith University
3.30-5.00pm New Law School Lecture Theatre 104
An updated list of events will be posted on this website soon.