Executive CommitteeThe International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies (IHRN) is governed by an executive committee composed of academy members from 12 countries. The Committee on Human Rights of the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine in Washington, D.C. serves as the IHRN's secretariat. Participants
National academies and scholarly societies that have human rights committees or an interest in human rights issues are invited to participate in the IHRN. See here for more information about IHRNparticipants. |
Statements
The Executive Committee makes occasional public statements on issues related to the mandate of the IHRN and it encourages members to support and publicize them. IHRN Executive Committee statements. Resources
Learn more about the ways in which national academies around the world are integrating human rights activities into their work. |
In the Spotlight
Human Rights and Scientific Education
A September 2019 Symposium of European National Academies
The eighth in a series of symposia devoted to the theme of human rights and science was held on September 11, 2019 in Paris, France on the topic of the right to education. It sought to demonstrate the importance of human rights education for a wide audience, including secondary and post-secondary students, to fight against discrimination of all kinds. The event was hosted by the French Academy of Sciences and co-organized with the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, which manages the symposium series. Both academies are active participants of the IHRN and have brought key issues and lessons learned raised during the symposia series to the attention of other IHRN-participating academies.
Beginning in 2010 in Berlin, the Leopoldina’s Human Rights Committee has organized regular symposia, in cooperation with national academies, that include representatives of European academies and the wider European scientific community. These events provide an opportunity to debate topical human rights and ethics-related questions related to the work of national academies, and to discuss cases of scientists and scholars subjected to human rights abuse.
For more information on the latest symposium, please visit the French Academy of Sciences’ website.
Research and Human Rights
An International Conference Hosted by the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters
Academic freedom - the practice of critical inquiry, the free exchange of ideas and pursuit of knowledge and research without unreasonable interference or restriction from law – is essential to scientific inquiry and the dissemination of new knowledge to the benefit of global society. Attacks on fundamental rights to free expression, association and movement seen around the world today threaten not only the security of researchers and scholars, but also the exercise of academic freedom.
On September 26, 2019, the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters hosted an international conference, Research and Human Rights, to address situations in which academic freedom is under attack. The conference brought together scholars from across disciplines to speak on various topics within this context, including the role of national academies in promoting human rights, the relationship between human rights and human rights law, and how scholarship can defend the human in an era of New nationalism. It also featured testimonies from individuals who have suffered human rights abuses in connection with their peaceful scholarly pursuits. In addition, it highlighted the importance of incorporating a human rights perspective into academic research, in order to enhance research results and enable more responsible solutions to pressing societal challenges. A book featuring essays from the conference speakers on the topic of research and human rights will be released next year.
The conference was organized by Professor Jakob Lothe, Professor in English Literature at the University of Oslo and Leader of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters' Committee for Human Rights. In this role, Professor Lothe has facilitated the Academy’s active participation in the IHRN.
To view the conference program and speakers’ bios, please click here.
“Many members ... affiliated with the International Human Rights Network, got to know about my case, became concerned, and actively intervened in order to obtain—in a civilized way—improvements in my confinement. For all of those humanitarian actions, I send, from the depths of my heart, my warmest thanks to all of the people who … did everything possible (and impossible) so that my release could become a reality.” (Héctor Maseda Gutiérrez, March 29, 2011)
Engaging with Human Rights in the National Academy Context: A Resource Guide
In recognition of the unique and important role national academies play in promoting human rights, the IHRN has developed the resource guide, Engaging with Human Rights in the National Academy Context.
Around the world, national academies and their members have made outstanding contributions to the improvement of the human condition. Their knowledge and expertise is essential in addressing pressing domestic and international concerns related to science and technology. Engagement with internationally recognized human rights norms complements this vital work and helps to shape responsible solutions to new global challenges.
The IHRN's guide highlights the creative, and varying, ways in which national academies around the world are integrating human rights activities into their work. In particular, it examines:
We hope the guide inspires academies wishing to become more involved with human rights issues.
For more information on the themes addressed in the resource guide, view the accompanying webinar, in which several academy members participating in the IHRN discuss their academies' involvement in matters of human rights concern.
Engaging with Human Rights in the National Academy Context: A Resource Guide
In recognition of the unique and important role national academies play in promoting human rights, the IHRN has developed the resource guide, Engaging with Human Rights in the National Academy Context.
Around the world, national academies and their members have made outstanding contributions to the improvement of the human condition. Their knowledge and expertise is essential in addressing pressing domestic and international concerns related to science and technology. Engagement with internationally recognized human rights norms complements this vital work and helps to shape responsible solutions to new global challenges.
The IHRN's guide highlights the creative, and varying, ways in which national academies around the world are integrating human rights activities into their work. In particular, it examines:
- Appeals Concerning Human Rights Violations
- Assistance Following Conflict and Human Rights Abuse
- Human Rights Dialogue and Research
We hope the guide inspires academies wishing to become more involved with human rights issues.
For more information on the themes addressed in the resource guide, view the accompanying webinar, in which several academy members participating in the IHRN discuss their academies' involvement in matters of human rights concern.
“No words are enough to express my recognition to the efforts of the members of your Institutions and those of the International Network on my behalf…I am convinced that I owe my release in a great extent to all of you.” (Oscar Espinosa Chepe, March 22, 2005)
Contact Us
To contact the secretariat of the International Human Rights Network of Academies and Scholarly Societies, please send an email to hrnetwork@nas.edu or call us at the telephone number below.
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MAIN: (202) 334-3043 HRNETWORK@NAS.EDU