A report on activity that Roya Institute was one of its participants and supporters
A Summer School on the 70th anniversary of the ratification of the
Refugee Convention
The ”Beyond Refuge” – Summer School on Refugee Rights and Forced Migration
This year, 2021, also marks the 70th anniversary of the adoption of the 1951 Refugee Convention; a convention whose importance has become more evident with the recent developments in Afghanistan and the forced displacement of tens of thousands of people. Historically, the 1951 Refugee Convention and its 1967 Protocol have been the critical legal documents forming international refugee law. With 149 State parties to either or both, they define the term ”refugee”, outline the rights of refugees, and the legal obligations of States to protect them.
The ”Beyond Refuge” – Summer School on Refugee Rights and Forced Migration was held virtually 23-26 Aug 2021. Roya Institute is proud to be one of the sponsors and participants in this program. We provide the following report to inform you about what was discussed in this high-level summer school.
This program was enjoyed with the cooperation of eighteen experienced and well-known Resource Persons from Sweden, Australia, India, the US, Hong Kong, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Japan. You can meet them here.
It also had seven prominent facilitators from Thailand/Laos, UK, India, and Bangladesh. There were twenty-nine interns selected in a tough competition from a wide range of applicants.
The Summer School offered its participants an opportunity to reflect on the operational and policy challenges and opportunities for advancing the rights of refugee and forcibly displaced populations in the region. Participants explored different ways in which national law and international human rights instruments and mechanisms can be used to protect and advance the social and economic rights of refugees. The sessions provided a foundational understanding of contemporary debates on the legal status of refugees and forcibly displaced populations, address issues of sexuality and gender, and delve into comparative legal frameworks regulating refugee lives with a focus on the Global South. Participants discussed policy developments in non-Convention countries, analyzed progressive precedents and conjured possibilities for progressive legal reform.
The school was included these sessions:
Introduction and Welcome Session
Session 1- Historical Background and Problematic Issues in Applying International Law Remedies
Session 2- Contesting Rightlessness in an Age of Rights
Session 3- Climate Displacement
Session 4- Gender, Sexuality Issues
Session 5- Proposed Future Strategies & Closing Remarks
More information, including Sessions description/objective, are available here.
