The United Nations and Human Rights

Professor Yozo Yokota gives a thorough and informative talk on his involvement with the United Nations and shares many of his personal experiences as UN Special Rapporteur to Myanmar.

Professor Yozo Yokota goes into great detail about the history of International Law and Human Rights at the UN and explains the various challenges the UN faces when dealing with governments found in violation of human rights. Professor Yokota also describes the UN's plans for achieving greater acceptance and adherence to a set of standardised human rights conventions. His presentation concludes with a call to action and explains how an interdisciplinary approach to his work and time at the UN helped him navigate extremely complicated and culturally sensitive ordeals.


Professor Yozo Yokota

Professor Yozo Yokota is an internationally renowned jurist and teacher of international law, international economic law and international human rights law. He is currently President of the Japanese Center for Human Rights Education and Training, Special Advisor of the Japanese Ministry of Justice, and a Member of the Committee of Experts of the International Labour Organization, and Commissioner, International Commission of Jurists. Professor Yokota started his career as Legal Counsel to the World Bank in Washington, D.C., before holding professorships in international law at International Christian University (Tokyo), the University of Tokyo, and Chuo Law School. He has also held visiting professorships at the University of Adelaide (Australia), and the law schools of the University of Michigan and Columbia University. As an internationally respected proponent of human rights, he has extensively advised the United Nations, serving as the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Myanmar between 1992 and 96 and a Member of the UN Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights between 2000 and 2007.

Professor Yokota was a Keynote Speaker at The Asian Conference on Social Sciences 2015 (ACSS2015) in Kobe, Japan.

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