INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS CLINIC
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Member countries of the United Nations are required to submit reports to the U.N. Human Rights Council about the status of human rights in their countries. Focusing on indigenous populations, students in the International Human Rights Clinic research and investigate issues that have an impact on indigenous populations in selected countries. Such issues include property rights and regulation of natural resource development; environmental protection; access to education opportunities and medical care; and protection of civil and political rights. Using treaties and international law as a foundation, students work collaboratively in conducting the research, utilizing a variety of resources. Their work culminates in the submission of a report to the council at its headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The students also present their research and conclusions before a university audience.
Students must have completed a selection of courses including Federal Indian Law, International Law Foundations, International Human Rights, and/or International Environmental Law prior to enrollment in the clinic.
To date, the students have submitted four reports to the Human Rights Council discussing Guyana, Panama, Papua New Guinea and Suriname. The report on Guyana was mentioned multiple times in the official summary report prepared for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights. See links to PDF files of these reports below.
In January 2011, two separate groups of students and faculty visited Uganda to research the Batwa community and Venezuela to research the Kariņa Makapaima community. The groups are currently organizing extensive reports, which will be submitted to the U.N. Human Rights Council in the spring for consideration.
The following links are PDFs and open in a new window:
Guyana Report
Panama Report
Official United Nations Summary Report - Guyana
Papua New Guinea Report
Suriname Report