A N N O U N C I N G

                     
IHRAAM
International
Human Rights Association of AmericanMinorities
ICHR
International  Council
for Human Rights

The Second International Conference on
The Right to Self Determination
The United Nations and
  International Civil Society

From the Call for a UN Self-Determination Commission
to the Establishment of an International Civil Tribunal
on the Right to Self-determination
  Concurrent with the United Nations 56th Session of the UN Sub-Commission
   Ramada Park Hotel, Geneva, 6-8 August, 2004

Final Press Release

Conference photos

Conference Themes
and Speakers
The First International Conference on the Right to Self-determination and the United Nations, held in Geneva in August 2000, explored whether just demands for self-determination would lead to collective restorative justice and greater democracy, or to international systemic overload, economic malfunction and chaos.  With a view to conflict resolution, it sought to promote the institution of a global systemic mechanism to facilitate negotiations which might lead to consociated democratic states or political independence.  Conference Resolutions were reported to the UN High Commissioner requesting the UN to establish an Office of the High Commissioner for Self-determination and a special  Self-determination Commission composed of representatives of United Nations member states.
Conference Schedule / Structure
This Second international Conference on the Right to Self-determination results from the response of international civil society to the inaction of the UN on the resolutions of the First Conference.  Thus the Second International Conference will explore the justice, economic and legal role that can be played by International Civil Society.  It will serve as a large international civil society forum.  While some theme speakers have been designated to get things started, all invitees will have the opportunity to speak under each theme to the extent that intervention time permits. 

Workshop Sessions
The Conference will attract Government Representatives, UN officials, International NGOs, Civil Society Representatives and Representatives from salient minority groups and nations, who will explore a series of Conference Themes introduced by a distinguished roster of scholars.
First International Conference
The UN Commission on Human Rights, the UN Working Group on Minorities and other pertinent bodies will also be advised of resolutions resulting from deliberations of the Second International Conference.
Photos from
the First International Conference
The Conference will foster discussion on whether such just demands will lead to collective restorative justice and greater democracy or to international systemic overload, economic malfunction and chaos. It will attract Government Representatives, UN officials, International NGOs, Civil Society Representatives and Representatives from salient minority groups and nations, who will explore a series of Conference Themes introduced by a distinguished roster of experts.
Pertinent Documents and Other Information
Resolutions resulting from the Conference deliberations will be submitted to the UN Commission on Human Rights, as well as to the UN Working Group on Minorities and other pertinent bodies.

Venue
The Conference will be the second in an ongoing series, permitting the international community the needed latitude to explore issues of extreme relevance to our time related to the preventive management or resolution of internal ethnic conflict or low intensity warfare (often referred to as terrorism) in furtherance of democratic transformation of the international system.
Conference Application Form
It is hoped that the Second International Conference will lead towards the establishment of the first International Civil Society Tribunal on the Right to Self-determination.