Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law

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Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law Official Facebook of the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law at the American University Washington College of Law.

Promoting Human Rights through Teaching, Scholarship, and Service. American University established the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law as part of its long-standing commitment to international human rights and the rule of law. For 30 years, the Center has worked with students, faculty and the international legal community to provide support for human rights initiatives in the U.S. and around the world through teaching, scholarship and service. The Center engages in exciting innovations in human rights education and advocacy by way of training, complementary education, outreach, workshops and conferences, and research and publications. All Center programming promotes the value of service, thereby grounding the Center as a core resource to the NGO community and a bridge between academia and civil society.

⚖️🌐 Human Rights and Technology Symposium Tech on Trial: AI, Quantum, AWS, & NeurotechThe Impact on Human Rights & the E...
10/07/2026

⚖️🌐 Human Rights and Technology Symposium Tech on Trial: AI, Quantum, AWS, & Neurotech
The Impact on Human Rights & the Environment

How can law safeguard human rights as emerging technologies reshape our lives?

Join the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law at American University Washington College of Law for a full day of discussion connecting technology, environmental protection, and accountability.

☀️ Morning sessions: An opening keynote by Organization of American States (OAS) Assistant Secretary General Laura Gil, followed by a discussion on AI, critical minerals, and the environmental and human rights costs of technological development.

🌐 Afternoon sessions: Explore autonomous weapons and state responsibility, social media accountability and freedom of expression, neurotechnology and mental privacy, and quantum technology’s implications for law and governance.

Meet scholars, practitioners, and fellow students working on these pressing questions.

📅 Tuesday, October 13, 2026
🕐 8:45 a.m.–6:45 p.m.
📍 Ceremonial Classroom, Warren NT01
American University Washington College of Law

🔗 Register using the QR code on the event flyers. Swipe to explore the morning and afternoon programs!

How are emerging technologies reshaping human rights (and at what environmental cost)?Join the Center for Human Rights a...
09/30/2026

How are emerging technologies reshaping human rights (and at what environmental cost)?

Join the Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law for Tech On Trial: The Impact on Human Rights & the Environment, a day of discussion with experts from academia, private, and public service sectors.

The program will explore AI and critical minerals, Indigenous rights, autonomous weapons, digital expression, neurotechnology, and quantum governance.

📅 October 13, 2026
🕘 8:45 a.m.–6:45 p.m.
📍 Ceremonial Classroom, Warren Building, NT01


Pizza and refreshments will be served.
Scan the QR code on the flyer to RSVP.

Co-sponsored by the Brazil–U.S. Legal and Judicial Studies Program, Tech Law Security Society, and Program on Environmental & Energy Law.

On the International Day for Universal Access to Information, our Director, Professor Eduardo Andres Bertoni , participa...
09/28/2026

On the International Day for Universal Access to Information, our Director, Professor Eduardo Andres Bertoni , participated in UNESCO’s virtual roundtable for Latin America and the Caribbean, “Integridad de la información y Alfabetización Mediática e Informacional (AMI): Nuevos desafíos para los órganos garantes del acceso a la información.”

The discussion focused on information integrity, media and information literacy, and the new challenges facing institutions responsible for protecting access to information.
The Center for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law marked this day by reaffirming its commitment to the right of everyone to seek and receive information. We thank UNESCO Uruguay for bringing together colleagues from across the region for this conversation.

Wrapping up a week of collaboration and conversation at the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law! 🌎⚖️📍 Monday in M...
09/25/2026

Wrapping up a week of collaboration and conversation at the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law! 🌎⚖️

📍 Monday in Montevideo: Center Director Professor Eduardo Bertoni participated in an international seminar at Uruguay’s Legislative Palace during the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ 195th Regular Session. Marking 20 years since Claude Reyes et al. v. Chile, the discussion examined the judgment’s lasting contribution to access to public information and the challenges shaping transparency across the Americas.

Wednesday brought two conversations:

☕ Coffee and Human Rights: Students and Humphrey Fellows joined Jordi Calvet-Bademunt of The Future of Free Speech at Vanderbilt University for a discussion moderated by Professor Bertoni. Together, they explored human rights safeguards for AI, “technopanic,” and approaches to AI governance that address emerging harms while protecting freedom of expression.

⚖️ A Conversation around CEDAW’s 45th Anniversary: The Center’s Kovler Project Against Torture organized a discussion on the connections between gender-based violence and torture, accountability and redress for survivors, and U.S. asylum protections.

Thank you to our speakers, students, colleagues, and partners for a week of thoughtful dialogue and shared commitment to human rights. Have a wonderful weekend!

What does free speech mean in the AI era?Yesterday, JD, LL.M., and S.J.D. students and Humphrey Fellows joined our Coffe...
09/24/2026

What does free speech mean in the AI era?

Yesterday, JD, LL.M., and S.J.D. students and Humphrey Fellows joined our Coffee and Human Rights conversation with Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, Senior Research Fellow at The Future of Free Speech at Vanderbilt University. Center Director Professor Eduardo Andres Bertoni moderated the discussion.

Together, we examined human rights guardrails for AI development, the risks these technologies present, and the concept of “technopanic.” Comparative perspectives on European Union and regional legislation helped ground a question now being debated in academia, the media, and policymaking: how can AI governance protect freedom of expression while responding to emerging harms?

Thank you to Jordi and everyone who joined us for a thoughtful conversation. ☕️

American University Washington College of Law

On September 21, Center Director Professor Eduardo Bertoni participated in the international seminar “The Right of Acces...
09/22/2026

On September 21, Center Director Professor Eduardo Bertoni participated in the international seminar “The Right of Access to Public Information in the Inter-American System: Twenty Years after Claude Reyes et al. v. Chile,” held at Uruguay’s Legislative Palace as part of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ 195th Regular Session.

Following the seminar’s inauguration, Professor Bertoni joined the first panel to discuss current challenges affecting access to public information across the Americas. The conversation examined the enduring contribution of Claude Reyes et al. v. Chile and the evolving legal and technological conditions shaping transparency throughout the region.

Interested in these issues? Join us for our upcoming Coffee and Human Rights conversation on AI, Free Speech, and Human Rights. Meet Professor Bertoni, explore current human rights debates, and connect with the Center’s community over coffee and pizza.

📍 Montevideo, Uruguay
📷 Inter-American Court of Human Rights
☕ Coffee and Human Rights: RSVP through the link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbz9RUoNq8uppOHxDcQcRYDB6TxffrgGFp5DPmz2jCxYM7gw/viewform?pli=1

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Empowering Global Change. 🌎Faculty, staff, and students came together on September 14 for the Center for Human Rights & ...
09/18/2026

Empowering Global Change. 🌎

Faculty, staff, and students came together on September 14 for the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law’s Welcome Event—a chance to connect, exchange ideas, and begin a new academic year with a shared commitment to human rights.

As a central hub for human rights in American University’s academic life, the Center brings teaching, scholarship, and advocacy together, helping students turn their interests into meaningful engagement.

That role grows through connections across American University Washington College of Law vibrant human rights community, including the War Crimes Research Office , the Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law and its Interamerican Inter-American Human Rights Moot Court CompetitionCompetition, and the International and Comparative Legal Studies Program.

Within the Center, the Kovler Project Against Anti-Torture Initiative and the Impact Litigation Project connect learning with practice,while the student-run Human Rights The Human Rights Brieff provides a space for research, analysis, and student voices. Together, these opportunities reflect the many ways our community advances human rights through study, dialogue, and action.

Thank you to the faculty, staff, and students who joined us and made this welcome possible. Your participation strengthens the connections at the heart of our work.

Your ideas belong here.

Stay connected, get involved, and help shape the year ahead.

Stand Up for Human Rights.

From exploring how human rights advocates keep accountability alive to examining how technology affects human rights aro...
09/15/2026

From exploring how human rights advocates keep accountability alive to examining how technology affects human rights around the world, our Coffee and Human Rights at American University Washington College of Lawseries continues to connect students with leading voices addressing today’s most urgent challenges.

Join us for our next conversation: “What Does Free Speech Mean in the AI Era?”

Jordi Calvet-Bademunt, Senior Research Fellow at The Future of Free Speech at Vanderbilt University, will discuss how AI companies and governments are shaping freedom of expression in generative AI. The conversation will be moderated by Professor Eduardo Bertoni, Director of the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law.

📅 September 23, 2026
🕛 12–1 p.m.
📍 Room NT02
🍕 Pizza will be served

🔗 Register online:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScbz9RUoNq8uppOHxDcQcRYDB6TxffrgGFp5DPmz2jCxYM7gw/viewform?usp=publish-editor

All American University Washington College of Law students are welcome.

Want to be part of the change you wish to see in the world? 🌎Start here. Join the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian...
09/08/2026

Want to be part of the change you wish to see in the world? 🌎

Start here. Join the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law for our welcome event! Meet faculty, connect with fellow students, and discover opportunities to turn your commitment to human rights into action.

📅 Monday, September 14 | 12–1 p.m.

📍 Warren Building, Room N102

🍕 Pizza and drinks are on us!
Bring your ideas, your questions, and a friend. Scan the QR code on the flyer to RSVP.

Connect. Discover. Exchange. Stand up for human rights!

Sign up here https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Kec-caZzMkFiqE5VGLRIOlJ_XD4bIIkaX1YweuCdd08/edit?usp=forms_home&ouid=110963110437141914493&ths=true

Our Board in Action: Human Rights Leadership Across InstitutionsFrom Washington to Geneva and across the Inter-American ...
09/04/2026

Our Board in Action: Human Rights Leadership Across Institutions

From Washington to Geneva and across the Inter-American system, members of the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law’s Board of Faculty Directors continue to shape major conversations on human rights and international law.

Professor Carlos Ayala Corao has assumed the presidency of the Inter-American Institute of Human Rights (IIHR), beginning a new chapter of leadership at one of the region’s principal institutions dedicated to human rights education and the dissemination of Inter-American standards. The appointment also reflects a longstanding connection between the Institute and the Center: Center Director Professor Eduardo Andres Bertoni previously served as the IIHR’s Representative for South America, strengthening human rights education and engagement across the region.

Professor Robert Goldman’s decades-long contribution to international humanitarian law was recently highlighted in The Yale Law Journal. In “The Humanitarian Lawyers,” Sagnik Das examines Professor Goldman’s pioneering work with Americas Watch and his role in advancing the application of international humanitarian law to protect individuals affected by armed conflict.

Professor and Dean Emeritus Claudio Grossman continues his leadership at the United Nations International Law Commission, contributing directly to the progressive development and codification of international law.

These achievements reflect what defines the Center’s community: faculty and Board members whose work connects scholarship, international institutions, and the practice of human rights law around the world.

For American University Washington College of Law students, that community is also an opportunity to engage, learn, and build connections.

Join us at the Center for Human Rights & Humanitarian Law Welcome Event to meet our faculty, fellows, and students, learn about our upcoming programs and initiatives, and discover how you can get involved.

📍 American University Washington College of Law — Warren Building, Room NT-03

📅 Monday, September 14 | 🕐 12–1 p.m.

🔗 RSVP through https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdvM7fKfriGhlDnYAZl_8K5xdJXMfJolTNBDUY91xN2DXkysA/viewform

Address

Washington D.C., DC

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

(202)2744334

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