Human Rights Summer School in Istanbul

Human rights summer school was held in Istanbul on August 3-9, 2015, within the framework of a joint project of the Public Defender's Office and the Human Rights Center. The project was funded and co-organized by the Office of the OSCE High Commissioner for National Minorities (OSCE HCNM).

Workshops and lectures were delivered about international human rights law within the framework of the program. The events were attended by Georgian, Ossetian and Abkhazian lawyers, human rights defenders and civil activists.

The program was opened by Director of the Office of the High Commissioner on National Minorities Henrik Villadsen, who talked about the organization’s functions, efforts and educational projects.

Educational topics, together with other issues, covered the fundamental principles of human rights, tolerance and discrimination, minority rights and gender equality. In addition, international experts discussed the human rights protection mechanisms, such as the International Criminal Court and the European Court of Human Rights, as well as the role of local mechanisms, such as ombudsman’s institutions and non-governmental human rights organizations. The participants also discussed specific examples that can help revelation of violations of human rights and acts of violence.

The project is part of the Public Defender's educational initiatives, the aim of which is to promote human rights, encourage cooperation and confidence building between the communities split by conflicts.

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