Inaugural Symposium of the Human Rights and the Climate Crisis Working Group

Ending the Climate Crisis through Rights-Based Climate Litigation? 

Trends, Challenges and Opportunities

The inaugural symposium of the NNHRR Human Rights and the Climate Crisis Working Group, hosted by the Netherlands Institute of Human Rights (SIM) at Utrecht University, will take place on 20 and 21 November 2024. Join us for expert presentations, analysis, discussion, and research planning for 2025.

2024 is a landmark year for climate litigation!

• European Court of Human Rights first climate change judgments
• Advisory Opinion from the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea
• International Court of Justice & Inter-American Court of Human Rights Advisory Opinions pending
• Dutch appeal decision in Milieudefensie v. Shell anticipated in early November

Draft programme Morning 20 November

Expert Round Table: Dutch and Global Trends in Rights-Based Climate Litigation.
Chairpersons:

• Dr Marlies Hesselman
• Dr Otto Spijkers

Panellists:

• Prof. Yvonne Donders, Elected Member of the UN Human Rights Committee, Chair International Human Rights and Cultural Diversity of Faculty of Law, UvA, Member NNHRR.
• Catherine van Es, Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth, NL)
• Richard Harvey, Legal Counsel, Greenpeace International 
• Manasa Venkatachalam, Blue Ocean Law
• WY4CJ speaker
• (others to be confirmed)

Afternoon programme 20 November 

Key Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Rights-Based Climate Litigation

• Panel 1: Dutch Perspectives
• Panel 2: Global Perspectives

General Discussion – Challenges and Opportunities for Rights-Based Climate Litigation: Take-aways for NNHRR Research

Symposium Dinner

Draft Morning Programme 21 November

Key Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Rights-Based Climate Litigation

• Panel 3: Human rights and the climate crisis: research challenges, priorities and opportunities
• Panel 4: (TBA)

Lunch

Planning research, collaboration and advocacy in 2025.

Updated Programme

The full announcement and an updated programme can be found in this online Google document:

Questions, contact, registration

Please help by registering early. Participation is open to NNHRR members, students, researchers, NGO representatives. Interdisciplinary perspectives are welcome! There is no charge to participate. Lunch and refreshments will be provided. Support for transport & accommodation is available for NNHRR members from outside Utrecht attending both days.

Contact: David Patterson (d.w.patterson@rug.nl).