Maastricht Centre for Human Rights
The Maastricht Centre for Human Rights brings together researchers with different disciplinary backgrounds from law and other academic fields, to conduct cutting edge human rights research. The Centre focuses on research themes that contribute to a fair and equitable society, and that raise fundamental questions about human rights. Human rights research carried out within the Centre takes a normative approach, reflecting an integrated view of both economic, social and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights. Research conducted by Centre members incorporates doctrinal and applied methodologies, and is sometimes interdisciplinary in nature. The main focus of the Centre’s research lies in the legal field (including public international law and criminal law), but this research is combined with research from the social sciences (including criminology, political science, international relations) and at times philosophy and history (the humanities). The research conducted within the Centre covers the following themes.
Fast facts
- focus on public international law, criminal law, criminology, and social sciences
- close attention to gender issues
- established in 1993 by prof. Theo van Boven, former director of UN Division for Human Rights, and prof. Cees Flinterman
- all 25 members invest research capacity in human rights subjects, next to their teaching responsibilities
Research
Regional human rights systems and comparative human rights law
The members of the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights share a strong interest in comparative research and the examination of human rights issues arising in domestic, regional and international legal systems. This interest is reflected in the Centre’s research, which explores the intersections between jurisprudential developments emerging from various national and supranational courts as well as bodies involved in interpreting and implementing human rights norms.
Human rights, non-discrimination and inclusion
The theme ‘’human rights, non-discrimination and inclusion’’ brings together research on groups or individuals suffering from unjustifiable differential treatment and ingrained patterns of discrimination in society. Members investigate how legal rules and instruments can be used to address political, economic, criminal, environmental and social challenges by promoting equality and inclusion in society. Some of the research under this theme also tends to be comparative in nature, focusing on the integration and interaction between different legal orders operating at the national, supranational (European Union) and international levels.
Human rights, conflict and transitional justice
The perpetration of international crimes, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression usually cause extensive harm to individuals, communities and societies more broadly. Such crimes have occurred in different parts of the world since time immemorial, and they are likely to reoccur. Therefore, research on the relations and interplay between human rights, conflict and transitional justice (i.e., the full range of processes and mechanisms associated with society’s attempts to come to terms with a legacy of large-scale past abuses) is crucial to achieving accountability, promoting reconciliation and preventing future harm.
Let's talk human rights
Human rights issues affect us all. But sometimes there can be an unfortunate disconnect between the human rights research that goes on in universities, and the rest of the world. Let’s Talk Human Rights is a video and podcast series which aims to bridge that gap. We interview human rights experts at one of the primary hubs of human rights research in the Netherlands, the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights, in order to open a window to show what is actually happening in human rights research today. We discuss pressing issues, from human rights and social media to the rights of disabled persons.
We also talk to the researchers about themselves, their projects, and their research journey. Focusing mainly on early career researchers, we cast a light not only on human rights law and how it works, but also on what it means to be a human rights researcher.
Read more about our Let's Talk Human Rights initiative
News
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PhD thesis written by Guleid Jama
This research studies children’s rights in Somaliland, an unrecognized State in the Horn of Africa. -
The Children’s Rights Research team worked on a report that shows how the rights of children in de facto states can be included in de United Nations human rights monitoring and reporting cycles.
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How can and should the government respond to the current low participation in the national immunization programme? Can certain forms of coercion be justified? The book Inducing Immunity? Justifying Immunisation Policies in Times of Vaccine Hesitancy provides answers.
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PhD thesis written by Valentina Golunova
This thesis has examined how the use of algorithms for the detection of illegal or harmful content on online platforms affects freedom of expression of EU citizens. Algorithmic content moderation is often hailed as an innovative solution to the problem of... -
In March, Dr. Konrad Kollnig was granted an AiNed Fellowship for his research project RegTech4AI. The project combines expertise in law and technology to develop regulatory technologies for citizens, enforcement agencies, and businesses in the domain of artificial intelligence (AI). This shall...
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In the recent allocation of grants within the AiNed Fellowship program, the Faculty of Law of Maastricht University was awarded a Fellowship for a research project by Dr. Konrad Kollnig. With the project 'RegTech4AI: Pioneering Regulatory Technologies for AI and Making AI Regulation Work in Practice...
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PhD thesis written by Andrés Horacio Cáceres-Solari
The research argues the incompatibility of the principle of distinction as codified/internationally interpreted in modern insurgency warfare. It argues that current IHL is narrow in scope to regulate modern insurgency warfare, establishes... -
A team of researchers at the Law & Tech Lab is exploring an AI-assisted solution that makes legal assistance more accessible to everyone. Think of difficult contracts with legal language, explained in plain language or summarized for easy understanding. The exploration of this tool comes with a few...
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On January 28th, Konrad Kollnig, assistant professor in the Law & Tech Lab of the Law Faculty, was awarded this years’ Stefano Rodotà Award. His thesis conducted a technological and legal study into mobile apps on how to improve data protection in practice.
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'Limburgse vlaai' has been officially recognized by the European Union, making it a protected regional product. What does this protection entail? How is it enforced? Sarah Schoenmaekers, associate professor of European law at the Faculty of Law at Maastricht University, has the answers to these...
Blogs
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Throughout the EU, the rights of asylum seekers come under pressure. Overdue policy changes remain stuck in negotiations because of lacking political will. It is up to the European Commission to step up and protect the fundamental rights of asylum seekers.
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The debate on the implications of Dutch colonial rule in Indonesia recently intensified after a report concluded that the Dutch forces had used extreme violence. Reactions to the report reveal that the issue remains controversial and challenging to discuss. The findings in the report do however...
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Admittedly, the right to erasure, or more colloquially, the right to be forgotten is nothing new in the European legal landscape. Indeed, this right can be found as far back as 1981 in the predecessor of the Modernised Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing...
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Thank God for Judge Egidijus Kūris. In ECtHR ruling Ahmet Hüsrev Altan v. Turkey of 13 April, he showed that decontextualized analysis is not inherent to supranational judicial review. Once again saucing up his dissent with Bob Dylan, he asked “how many times can [the ECtHR] turn [its] head and...
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About a year ago, this blog published my contribution “Let us not forget about EU fundamental rights,” which addressed the situation at the EU’s external borders. At the time, the decision of the ECtHR in the case of N.D and N.T v. Spain, was heavily criticised for failing to protect the right to...
Events
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22 May 30 Jun14:00 - 15:30
Globalization & Law Network Seminar Series 2023 - 2024
The Globalization & Law Network is composed by a group of researchers of Maastricht University, coming from different backgrounds, who study the role that law plays in a globalizing society from a holistic perspective. Invited experts will give a presentation on a specific topic followed by a Q&A...
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24 May10:00 - 11:00
Maastricht Private Law Lecture 2024
The Maastricht Private Law Lecture, hosted by the Maastricht Department of Private Law, is an annual event at which a most distinguished scholar is invited to give a lecture on a topic related to the wide field of private law. After the lecture there will be an interactive seminar with PhD...
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28 May 25 Jun14:00 - 15:30
MCEL Seminars
The activities of the centre include regular organisation of academic conferences and workshops, as well as monthly research seminars to which high-level speakers are invited to discuss a specific topic in the field of EU law.
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31 May13:30 - 15:30
Jean Monnet EU Migration Law and Governance Lecture Series
On 31 May, our speaker is Tesseltje de Lange, Professor of European Migration Law, Centre for Migration Law at Radboud University Nijmegen.
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04 Jun11:45 - 13:00
Pick Our Brains
On 4 June, our speaker is Shuyuan Zhang (Maastricht University) - Title: Human Rights Universality, Particularity and Asia: A Discourse Analysis
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12 Jun 13 Jun00:00
Recharacterising International Disputes: Exploring the Phenomenon of Multi-Fora Litigation
The global landscape has seen an uptick in the utilization of international and regional courts, with a broader set of norms and circumstances now subject to adjudication. This pattern raises questions about the reasons behind such recharacterization, the appropriate methods for judicial bodies to...
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13 Jun16:00
Environmental Law Lecture Series
This lecture series provides a set of important insights from environmental law scholars on how EU environmental law helps to achieve the aim of a high level of environmental protection in the European Union and across the world.
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20 Jun 21 Jun00:00
Between narratives and reality: The EU at the gates of a new mandate
We invite you to submit an abstract of a paper to present at the conference on the topic of " Between narratives and reality: The EU at the gates of a new mandate" which will be held at our Faculty of Law on 20 & 21 June 2024 in Maastricht.
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24 Jun 26 Jun10:00 - 18:00
CLEER Summer School 2024
9th CLEER Summer School on the Law of EU External Relations which will take place in Brussels
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03 Jul10:00 - 19:00
Public Procurement: A key tool to reach sustainability in Europe and beyond
This conference aims to serve as a dynamic platform to discuss how public procurement can contribute to sustainable growth, responsible business conduct and respect for labour and human rights in production processes.
Maastricht Centre for Human Rights introduction
This short introduction tells about the interdisciplinary character of the centre for human rights.
Maastricht Centre for Human Rights past events
Human Rights beyond borders conference
The etoconsortium.org, together with MCfHR and FIAN International organized a conference in September 2017. The meeting brought together 45 academics, representatives of human rights NGOs, civil society organisations and human rights practitioners. They analysed the human rights beyond border dimensions of issues in policy fields such as debt and austerity; climate and ecology; financial capture and land grabbing, the regulation of transnational corporations; investment and trade.
30 years Limburg principles and migrationy
Conference ESC rights and migration. In June 1986 a group of distinguished experts in int. (human rights) law convened in Maastricht, to deliberate the nature and scope of state parties’ obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). This meeting resulted in the agreement and adoption of the so-called Limburg Principles. In light of the 30th anniversary of these, MCfHR organised a conference in December 2016, in the area of ESC rights and migration.
More information on the ESC conference
Theo van Boven lecture 2016
Each year, the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights organises a lecture to honour one of the centre's co-founders and former Director of the United Nations Division of Human Rights (1977-1982) Theo van Boven. This year's lecture was combined with the conference (1-2 December 2016) to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Limburg Principles. Prof. Philip Alston delivered a keynote speech on 1st December '16.
More information on the lecture
Read about the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights past key events:
- Human Rights beyond borders conference
- 30 years Limburg principles and migrationy
- Theo van Boven lecture 2016
The Subversives
Documentary about the life of one of the most important advocates of human rights. Theo van Boven, a former Director of the United Nations Division of Human Rights (1977-1982), was among the first to defend international human rights responsibilities with courage and openness. He came face-to-face with some of the most repressive regimes of the 20th century. This documentary details the dramatic journey of Theo van Boven and his team, and their struggle to bring justice and change to the UN.
Video: Trailer for The Subversives, a documentary about van Theo van Boven's time at the UN.