Human Rights: Global Policy and Practice (LAWS90175)

The 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights has been heralded as a common ethical standard of humanity and helped spawn a global human rights movement. But what impacts have international human rights law, institutions and actors had in practice? Human rights violations are not always the product of a linear relationship between oppressor and victim, but are rooted in a complex structure of power relations in the political, economic and social spheres. How adaptable, and how successful, has the global human rights movement been in challenging underlying structures of exclusion and oppression? How can positive change be achieved in practice, and what expectations can reasonably be placed upon human rights law, institutions and actors in this regard?

This subject applies an interdisciplinary approach to the examination of these questions, linking theoretical debates to analyses of practical implementation challenges. Special attention is given to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda, given the high expectations that have been placed upon it and the significant investment so far by the human rights movement, and to normative and human rights policy frameworks and strategies of engagement with business enterprises and international financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

Dr Darrow led the research and advocacy of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in connection with the 2030 Development Agenda and is currently responsible for its partnerships and policy engagement with international financial institutions in Washington DC. He has worked in private legal practice, academia, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, and in the Human Rights Branch of the Attorney-General’s Department (Cth), and has consulted for a range of international organisations including the World Bank and UNICEF. He has published extensively in the fields of international human rights law, anti-discrimination, development, and international organisations.