Watch this event at https://youtu.be/jZ4dGT4Frr0
Arlene Kanter provides the keynote address for the “Disability and International Humanitarian Law: Universal Approach Conference” on Tuesday, November 10, 2020. Watch the conference videos at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLpm6rbayTSjbKcjhjAUYhV2cX-BKc-g5s
In recent years, the efficacy and wisdom of international human rights treaties have come under attack. Critics point to the continuing existence of human rights violations around the world as evidence of the “failure” of the human rights regime. While it may be true that human rights treaties have not (yet) realized their full potential in every country, Professor Kanter will argue that human rights treaties do have a positive effect, particularly with respect to advancing the rights of people with disabilities. In her talk she will discuss her research and work in various countries on implementing the goals of the UN Convention on the Rights Of People with Disabilities. The CRPD came into force in 2008 and has since been ratified by 182 countries, including Canada.
About the speaker
Professor Arlene Kanter
is Laura J. and L. Douglas Meredith Professor at Syracuse University College of Law. She is the founder and Director of the College of Law’s Disability Law and Policy Program (DLPP) and the Faculty Director of International Programs at Syracuse University.
Professor Kanter is an internationally acclaimed expert in international and comparative disability law. She publishes and lectures extensively on domestic and international human rights and disability law and policy. Her recent book, The Development of Disability Rights Under International Law: From Charity to Human Rights (Routledge, 2015, 2017) traces the development of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (CPRD).
From 2001-06, Professor Kanter worked with the UN committee on drafting the CRPD. Since then, she has worked with governments and disability organizations on implementing the CRPD in more than a dozen countries. She has been invited to speak at the UN General Assembly, the Committee of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women, and the Committee on the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities. She is currently an expert consultant to the UN Rapporteur on Disability as well as several international and domestic disability organizations.
