Human Rights, Transitional Justice, and Environmental Protection

This year’s Summer School on Human Rights and Transitional Justice addresses the confluence of two global crises: environmental protection and the response to mass atrocity. Protection of the environment and natural resources is a key element in building a positive future after mass atrocity, but the law and practice in this area is unsettled and rapidly evolving. How can protecting the environment help build a positive peace? Where do the laws of armed conflict fall short in preventing and remedying environmental harm? Should the anthropocentric assumptions of international criminal law be challenged in the context of transitional justice and environmental harm after mass atrocity?
The Summer School builds on the years of effort by the International Law Commission on armed conflict and the protection of the environment, as well as a multi-year project centered at Leiden University on jus post bellum and the protection of the environment. Covering a range of pressing contemporary topics such as where environmental harm is potentially prohibited by international criminal law, legal frameworks for environmental justice, mechanisms of transitional justice, investments in extractive industries in the transition to peace, and case studies on issues such as environmental protection and the transition to peace in Sierra Leone and the UN Compensation Commission.

Course leader

Daniëlla Dam-de Jong, Assistant Professor of International Law, Leiden University
Jens Iverson, Assistant Professor of International Law, Leiden University

Target group

This summer school is aimed at advanced students, researchers and professionals working in the field of transitional justice, human rights and/or environmental protection. Applicants with a background in other disciplines that are relevant to the theme of the summer school will be considered as well.

Course aim

The Summer School offers a unique opportunity to learn about human rights, transitional justice and environmental protection. The course also provides for plenty of opportunities to network with fellow students and practitioners from all over the world.

Credits info

The participants will receive a certificate of participation after completion of the programme.
Furthermore, we can issue a statement regarding the amount of ECTS credits we would assign to this course, based on the number of hours in class, preparation time and assignments, keeping in mind that 1 ECTS equals 28 hours of study. Your university can then evaluate this course and decide whether they will indeed award ECTS credits.

Fee info

EUR 475: The fee includes access to the digital learning environment of Leiden University (Blackboard), course materials, a certificate of participation, an information briefing at one of the International Courts and Tribunals in The Hague, lunches and refreshments on class days, a welcome dinner in the city centre, and a farewell dinner at the beach.

Scholarships

We are happy to be offering 2 fee waivers for the 2018 edition of this Summer School (applications must be received before 15 May 2018). To be considered for this opportunity, we ask prospective participants to mention this in the motivation letter reques