Conference: The Domestic Consequences of International Human Rights Treaty Ratification

On October 15-16, the New York University School of Law's Center for Human Rights and Global Justice will host a conference on "The Domestic Consequences of International Human Rights Treaty Ratification." The program is here. Here's the idea:

A bewildering array of research has recently been devoted to the question of compliance with international human rights law. Political scientists, sociologists, anthropologists and legal scholars have all recently grappled with the question of what effects, if any, international legal norms have had on actual rights practices within countries. This conference will bring together scholars from law and the social sciences working on the consequences of international law in the domestic setting.

While most discussions of “consequences” of international human rights law generally center on questions of compliance or effectiveness, this conference will discuss the specific mechanisms and conditions that make these outcomes more or less likely. Theoretical approaches range from social theories of group identity and mobilization, to rational theories explicating how treaties inform and influence the political attitudes of citizens, to theories of how international norms become relevant in domestic litigation. The conference addresses both the intended and unintended consequences of international human rights law including counter-mobilization and “rights fatigue.” The purpose of the conference is to exchange ideas and further research on the mechanisms through which international law affects human rights practices in domestic law, culture, and politics.