Outline of the Course
After providing a brief overview of some traditional notions of international law, such as State and “international community, the course will then delve into the analysis of the human rights system both at the international (UN) and regional level (European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and the African Court of Human Rights, along with UN treaty bodies - Human Rights Committee, for example).
The second part of the course will focus on different topics (others might be added according to the students’ interest): “democracy and human rights”; “business, ethics and human rights”, dealing with the activity of transnational corporations and their alleged violations of human rights especially in least developed countries; “human rights, global health and health emergencies”, analyzing both the effects of the crises on human rights and the response to the crises on human rights; “reproductive rights”; “environmental human rights” (in particular the affirmation of the right of human and non-human beings to a healthy environment); “human rights in times of armed conflicts” (what are the rules of an armed conflict and how individuals’ human rights are protected); “international dispute resolution in challenging times”, dealing with dispute resolution at various levels and between different subjects, such as individuals v foreign States.
The course will also equip the students with the skills to ‘simulate’ and enact a procedure in front of one of the analyzed jurisdictions, filing a mock complaint and preparing a memoire to support the case.

Teaching methods
The course will include lectures, seminars and the projection of documentaries (if possible). During the seminars the students are invited to prepare the readings related to the topic (readings can be documents, judgments, short papers). The purpose is to discuss the topic during an open debate once a week or once every two weeks.
Interaction is highly encouraged. Students are invited to propose issues that have been raised in their country of origin.

Evaluation methods
10% participation during seminars (debate, analysis of the documents, etc.).

10% participation to the Venice Model European Union.

35% Mid-term assessment: a blog post (around 1000 words) on a specific topic at their choice, related to the ones analyzed in class. The topic must be notified to the professor, who will assess the compatibility with the course.

45 % Final assessment: Moot Court which will take place during exam week and a brief statement in preparation
for the Moot Court (around 2000 words).

Bibliography
C. D. Stone, Should trees have standing? Towards legal rights for natural objects, 1972, available here: https://iseethics.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/stone-christopher-d-should-trees-have-standing.pdf
Council of Europe, Women’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Europe, 2017, only pp. 47-57, available here: https://rm.coe.int/women-s-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-in-europe-issue-pape/168076dead
D. Desierto, International Legal Protection for Mothers Experiencing Global Crises and Natural Disasters, 2024, available here: https://www.ejiltalk.org/states-duties-of-special-protection-towards-mothers-under-international-law/
S. De Vido, Sea Level Rise as a Form of Gendered Climate Violence: International Legal Implications for Migration, forthcoming
P. I. Barbirotto, The Slow Effects of the War in Ukraine and International Law, 2023, available here: http://opiniojuris.org/2023/09/14/the-slow-effects-of-the-war-in-ukraine-and-international-law/

S. Dal Monico, A New Horizon in Biopiracy Trends? Preliminary Considerations on Digital Sequence Information on Genetic Resources, 2024, available here: http://opiniojuris.org/2024/01/03/a-new-horizon-in-biopiracy-trends-preliminary-considerations-on-digital-sequence-information-on-genetic-resources/

Additional references:
D. Shelton, Advanced Introduction to International Human Rights Law (Cheltenham: Elgar, 2014). Chapters: 1,3,4,5,6,7.
S. De Vido, Violence against Women’s Health in International Law (Manchester University press, 2020). At least chapter2 and 3. Free download here: https://www.manchesteropenhive.com/view/9781526124982/9781526124982.xml?rskey=zvLU3l&res
ult=1
O. De Schutter, International Human Rights Law, Cambridge University Press, 2.ed., 2014, part I and III.
A. Gallagher, The International Law of Migrant Smuggling, Cambridge University Press, 2014.
E. Brems, A. Timmer, Stereotypes and Human Rights Law, Intersentia, 2016.

Last updated: January 10, 2025