The Politics of International Human Rights Enforcement

A focus on the political dimensions of international efforts to ensure accountability for human rights violations. We will examine both highly visible institutions (such as the International Criminal Court and the UN Human Rights Council) and those with a lower profile (such as the World Bank’s accountability compliance office). The changing ways in which state and non-state actors engage with this array of institutions will be a particular focus. Throughout the semester, students will be responsible for identifying specific country cases with respect to each accountability mechanism, and reporting back to the class — orally and in writing — on the facts, processes, outcomes, and lessons of the cases they have studied.

012520