The Faculty of Law hosted an academic session on Human Rights yesterday afternoon, April 18, held in collaboration with the CajaCanarias Foundation and the Berg Institute for Human Rights. The session was held in a round table format under the title Human Rights: freedom and justice. It was chaired and moderated by Rosa María Bautista Cordero, Professor of Translation at the Autonomous University of Madrid and co-director of the Berg Institute for Human Rights, and Macarena Sáez Torres also took part.Executive Director of the Women's Rights Division in Human Rights Watch and Xabier Agirre Aramburu, senior coordinator of Investigations and Analysis at the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
The rector of the academic institution, Francisco García, participated in the opening of this event, praising the timeliness of this gathering at a moment when the protection of human rights is at a critical juncture, and noting that they are being violated in many parts of the world. He stated that basic principles of coexistence and personal well-being are being systematically infringed upon, and therefore maintained that the role of universities in fostering a critical and informed citizenry is fundamental.
The Berg Institute's mission includes the protection and defense of human rights in all areas, as well as the promotion of scientific and professional vocations in the fields of humanitarian law, international humanitarian law, and human rights. The CajaCanarias Foundation contributes to this mission through educational, outreach, and cultural activities related to human rights.
The Faculty of Law of the University of La Laguna thus begins with this round table the first of its actions with a dual purpose: to promote awareness and knowledge of the guarantee and defense of Human Rights in general and to foster this branch of Law among future jurists at an academic and professional level.
Yesterday afternoon there was an opportunity to discuss the scope and effectiveness of International Criminal Law, the actions of the International Criminal Court and the processes in which it can intervene, as well as the role of the Human Rights Watch organization in the investigation, information and defense of abuses and violations of Human Rights that occur throughout the world, and the work of the women's division in the demand for real equality, the fight against sexual violence and the use of violence against women as a war strategy.
Speakers
Rosa María Bautista Cordero She is a professor of Translation in the Department of English Philology at the Autonomous University of Madrid. She holds a degree in English Philology from the Complutense University of Madrid and a doctorate in Languages and Artistic and Literary Manifestations from the Autonomous University of Madrid. Her published translations include works by contemporary authors such as John Dos Passos, Bruce Chatwin, V.S. Naipaul, Hugh Thomas, Amos Oz, Tom Wolfe, and Allen Ginsberg, among others. She was appointed sworn translator and interpreter to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995 and is currently vice-president of the John Dos Passos Society and co-director of the Berg Institute for Human Rights. Within this same collection, she is the author of the translation of Witness in Nuremberg, by Richard W. Sonnenfeldt, and The black dog of fate, by Peter Balakian.
Macarena Sáez Torres She is an expert in Women's Law and Human Rights, with a bachelor's degree from the University of Chile and a master's degree from Yale Law School. She is currently the executive director of the Women's Law Division at [organization name missing]. Human Rights Watch, Leading a global team focused on protecting and defending women's rights, especially their autonomy as the foundation for gender equality, Sáez Torres's work centers on eliminating economic and political barriers, guaranteeing reproductive autonomy, and combating gender-based violence. She is an expert in Family Law, Comparative Law, and diverse sexualities. Previously, she was a professor at American University Washington College of Law and co-founder of the Latin American Network of Academics in Gender and Sexuality (ALAS). She has published numerous works on human rights, gender, and sexuality.
Xabier Agirre Aranburu He is the senior coordinator of investigations and analysis at the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), where he has been active since 2004. With over 25 years of experience investigating international crimes, he has worked on cases in countries such as Bosnia, Guatemala, Colombia, Honduras, Congo, Darfur, Kenya, Libya, Palestine, Ukraine, and Afghanistan. He has also trained justice professionals in numerous countries and universities worldwide, in collaboration with organizations such as the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, Interpol, and the ICC.
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