1st Edition
Negotiating Sovereignty and Human Rights Actors and Issues in Contemporary Human Rights Politics
Providing an overview of institutional developments and innovations in human rights politics, this volume discusses some of the most important current and emerging human rights issues. It takes stock of the initiatives, policy responses and innovations of past years to identify some of the challenges that will likely require bold and innovative solutions. The contributors focus on actors and/or issues that are outside the mainstream of international human rights politics; the chapters address issues that have only emerged as an important part of the international human rights agenda and generated much advocacy, diplomacy and negotiations since the end of the Cold War. These issues include: the International Criminal Court, the norm of Responsibility to Protect (R2P), the proliferation of small arms and light weapons and its human rights impact, truth commissions, and the rights of persons with disabilities. The contributions offer a direct challenge to entrenched notions of state sovereignty and represent a departure from established ways of policy making.
Biography
Dr Noha Shawki is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and Government at the Illinois State University, USA. Dr Michaelene Cox is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and Government at the Illinois State Universtiy, USA.
'...a superb contribution to the scant literature on this very important subject. Its insightful chapters represent a challenge to the usual discourse on the subject. It represents a groundbreaking and humane explanation of the linkage between sovereignty and human rights. It is a must read for scholars, students and political analysts.' Jamal R. Nassar, California State University, USA 'Brings together a fascinating collection of articles that explore new concerns and issues in the arena of international human rights politics. The critical evaluation of changing dynamics between state and human rights and the attention paid to new human right actors such as non governmental organizations, epistemic communities and multinational corporations will be of interest not only to professional social scientists but to policy makers, activists and anyone concerned about human rights, social justice, freedom and peace.' Sandya Hewamanne, Wake Forest University, USA 'Provides a window into cutting edge developments in the field of human rights across a spectrum of issues, actors, institutions and norms. Contributors lay the groundwork by examining new challenges to state sovereignty and immunity through such institutional developments as the International Criminal Court, truth commissions, and the responsibility to protect; and across issues spanning mobilization to meet millennium development goals, the urgency of climate change, international control of small arms and light weapons, and the rights of persons with disabilities. The case studies are both conceptually and theoretically grounded, and bring together practitioner and scholarly perspectives that enrich comprehension of the dynamics of international relations from local to global contexts.' Janie Leatherman, Fairfield University, USA