Research
Research is conducted on a wide range of issues of international human rights law. The Institute's major research focus is on the jurisdictional protection of human rights and issues regarding the foundations of law. All members of the Institute monitor closely the caselaw of the European Court of Human Rights.
Below, only the formal research projects are listed. The particular research interests of each member of the Institute can be found on their respective pages.
Ongoing Research
Faith, Identity and Participation in the Workplace. A comparative legal study on the role of religion and beliefs in individual labour relations and unemployment benefits litigation (2010-...)
Researcher: Katayoun Alidadi (doctoral research)
The correlation between international human rights law and international investment law. The case study of Chinese overseas investments in Africa (2010 - ...)
Researcher: Charline Daelman (doctoral research)
Fundamental duties in a democratic society (2009 - ...)
Researcher: Michaël Merrigan (doctoral research)
The content and extent of positive obligations in the protection against discrimination, with specific application to racial discrimination (2004-...)
Researcher: Paulo de Tarso Lugon Arantes (doctoral research)
Past Research
The Right to Work in China: a Case Study of China after its Ratification of ICESCR (2002-2010)
Researcher: Haina Lu
The meaning and position of the European Convention on Human Rights and the caselaw of the European Court of Human Rights in international law (2001-2007)
Researcher: Frédéric Vanneste
General principles of substantive human rights law in the decisions of the UN treaty bodies: the case of the principle of equality (2004-2005)
The plurality of human rights treaties and supervisory committees at the UN level has lead to a number of parallel and/or overlapping provisions, and to mutually interfering or conflicting decisions of the committees. The aim of the project is to identify general principles of substantive human rights law underlying the decisions of the treaty bodies. In particular, attention will be paid to the principle of equality and non-discrimination.
Researcher: Wouter Vandenhole
The right to reparation for victims of human rights violations. A legal analysis from the perspective of international human rights law (2000-2004)
Study of the definition (types, components), degree of legal recognition (sources, legal grounds) and enforcement (institutions, procedures) of the right to reparation for human rights violations, under international human rights law. Application of the right to reparation to situations of gross violations of human rights in the context of political transitions, with case studies on Rwanda and South Africa.
Researcher: Pietro Sardaro
General principles of procedural human rights law in the decisions of the UN treaty bodies (2003-2004)
The plurality of human rights treaties and supervisory committees at the UN level has lead to a number of parallel and/or overlapping provisions, and to mutually interfering or conflicting decisions of the committees. The aim of the project is to identify general principles of procedural human rights law underlying the decisions of the treaty bodies.
Researcher: Wouter Vandenhole
An Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (2001-2002)
The issues of justiciability of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is revisited, the obligations for states are clarified, and a proposal for the modalities of an Optional Protocol establishing an individual complaints procedure is developed.
Researcher: Wouter Vandenhole
Human rights and development, with a casestudy of social action litigation in India (1996-2001)
A study of the contribution of human rights law to development in the light of law and development theories. A human right to development is rejected, and the potential of the relaxation of procedural rules of human rights litigation is demonstrated with the help of a casestudy of social action litigation in India.
Researcher: Wouter Vandenhole