Abstract dell'evento

In International Human Rights, treaties are the main legal tool for establishing universal standards of protection. However, the effectiveness of these instruments does not depend solely on their existence or the number of ratifications, but also on howStates consent to be bound by them and how they interpret and apply these treaties. In this field, reservations present both advantages and disadvantages in the Law of Treaties regarding the ratification of multilateral international conventions.

In this sense, the study of the reservations formulated by States when ratifying Human Rights treaties becomes a privileged window to observe how the effective protection of Human Rights is implemented, limited or even eroded in the international sphere.

This seminar proposes a critical analysis of State practice regarding reservations to the main universal Human Rights treaties in order to assess the impact of this practice on the international Human Rights protection regime.

Through a close examination of reservations, as well of the objections formulated by other States parties, the essential Human Rights commitments made by States will be identified in a permanent, perhaps irresolvable, tension between the aspiration for the universality of Human Rights and the basic principle of State sovereignty.

Therefore, the analysis of reservations and objections should be understood as a key mechanism for assessing the real commitment of States to the principles and norms of international Human Rights protection. This seminar also analyzes the role of objections in this area, which can help to establish patterns in a practice that is as abundant as it is complex.

Consequently, this seminar demonstrates that the study of the practice of reservations and objections provides a better understanding of the limits of international Human Rights protection.

Tuesday, May 27th, 2025 h 2 - 4 p.m. - IN PERSON AND ONLINE 
Seminar: State Practice Regarding Reservations and Objections: A Mirror of the International Protection of Human Rights

Welcome and Introduction: Edoardo Rossi (University of Urbino)  
Speaker: Alicia María Pastor García (University of Malaga, Spain)

Participants in the discussion:
- Simona Fanni (University of Seville, Spain)
- Luigi Sammartino (University of Milan)

Students and scholars who are unable to join the event in person in Aula 1 (Sede Didattica Scienze Politiche - Piazza Gherardi, 4) can attend online at the following Zoom link: https://bit.ly/Pastor_PhD_Global_Studies