EIUC Diplomatic Conference 2008

The EIUC Diplomatic Conference 2008 on "Living the UDHR after 60 Years: Challenges for the European Union" took place on 19 July 2008 in Venice, Monastery of San Nicolò.

The EIUC Diplomatic Conference is every year devoted to an exploration of topical issues in the area of human rights and democratisation. It brings together academics and experts from the EIUC participating universities and associated organisations, EIUC Advisory Board members, members of the EU COHOM group, and human rights and democratisation experts from the EU institutions.

The 2008 Diplomatic Conference was organised in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It was devoted to exploring the ability of the UDHR to respond to pressing global challenges that have emerged on the international agenda in the decades after the adoption of the UDHR.

Taking into account a diversity of institutional perspectives on current opportunities and challenges in international human rights, the conference examined three main themes. These were:

• Human rights policy challenges for the European Union;
• Globalisation, poverty and scientific progress;
• Urbanisation and environment.

A particular focus of the conference was to identify guidelines for the role of the EU in the UN Human Rights Council.

Download here:

• List of participants,
• Index of the reader prepared for the conference.

The conference coincided with the day of the Redentore Festival in Venice and concluded with a viewing of the spectacular fireworks over the Venice lagoon.