This year, the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law’s 2021 summer programs and initiatives hoped to enhance and increase communication in the human rights community. Over the past 26 years, the Academy has developed key initiatives and programs that offer relevant, empowering training for scholars, practitioners, and students interested in the international human rights system and created key spaces for discussions of the most relevant issues in the human rights field. During this complex time, the Academy is determined to fulfill its mission for the promotion and awareness of human rights.

Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition 2021

The Academy on Human Rights celebrated the 26^th Anniversary of the Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court Competition from May 16 – 28, 2021. The Competition is a unique trilingual (English, Portuguese, and Spanish) that challenges student competitors and human rights practitioners alike by engaging them in cutting-edge legal discussions concerning the Inter-American human rights legal system, one of the world’s most active international legal bodies.  As part of the 26th anniversary of the Competition, we received a total of 53 Memorials from teams representing more than 16 countries in the Americas and in the world, including Singapore and Belgium. The oral rounds were carried out virtually, and we had the participation of more than 230 judges from different parts of the world. Additionally, as part of this celebration, the Academy organized relevant virtual panels from May 16 to 28, 2021.

Program of Advanced Studies on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

Following the Moot Court Competition, the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law hosts the summer component of the LL.M. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law,  the Program of Advanced Studies on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. We are currently offering 12 virtual courses in both English and Spanish led by world-class faculty. The 22th virtual edition welcoming participants from around the world. Over the years, the program has welcomed participants from over 25 countries, human rights defenders and activists, scholars, domestic and international lawyers, mid-career professionals, and law students looking to enhance their human rights training.

2021 Experts Speak Series

From May – July, 2021 the Academy on Human Rights will host a special multi-lingual series as a part of the 2021 Human Rights Summer, known as The Experts Speak Series. This initiative, co-sponsored with the LL.M. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, offers panels in English and Spanish and aims to continue promoting human rights in both the academic and professional human rights community, by providing an overview of the impact of the COVID-19 crisis as well as the response of states around the world. The series encouraged discussions regarding ways to prevent and denounce human rights violations in the ongoing crisis and its aftermath. This series is a part of the substantive discussions offered to LL.M. students, complementing in-class instruction.

Schedule of Events:

2021 Human Rights Summer, The Experts Speak Series

Upcoming Activities for Fall 2021

LL.M. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law 

In addition to our summer programs and initiatives, we are preparing to welcome new students to the LL.M. in International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law for the 2021 Fall Semester. Through this LL.M. program, the Academy provides formal training and increases networking and collaboration among scholars, professionals, students, lawyers, and human rights defenders. A multilingual (English and Spanish) program that is offered in three tracks, traditional-in-person, hybrid, and fully online, allows students to connect to the top experts in the human rights field globally. Each Fall and Spring semester the Academy enrolls students from over 30 countries, integrating key global voices and perspectives.

The Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law is an important referent in the world in topics of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and it is the only Academic Institution in the US with programs in English, Spanish and Portuguese.