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    Canadian Political Science Association
    2020 Annual Conference Programme

    Confronting Political Divides
    Hosted at Western University
    Tuesday, June 2 to Thursday, June 4, 2020
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    Presidential Address:
    Barbara Arneil, CPSA President

    Origins:
    Colonies and Statistics

    Location:
    Tuesday, June 2, 2020 | 05:00pm to 06:00pm
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    KEYNOTE SPEAKER:
    Ayelet Shachar
    The Shifting Border:
    Legal Cartographies of Migration
    and Mobility

    Location:
    June 04, 2020 | 01:30 to 03:00 pm
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    Keynote Speaker: Marc Hetherington
    Why Modern Elections
    Feel Like a Matter of
    Life and Death

    Location:
    Wednesday, June 3, 2020 | 03:45pm to 05:15pm
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    Plenary Panel
    Indigenous Politics and
    the Problem of Canadian
    Political Science

    Location: Arts & Humanities Building - AHB 1R40
    Tuesday, June 2, 2020 | 10:30am to 12:00pm

Race, Ethnicity, Indigenous Peoples and Politics



L12(a) - Theorizing the United Nations and Human Rights: Declarations, Conventions and Compacts 2

Date: Jun 3 | Time: 02:00pm to 03:30pm | Location:

Chair/Président/Présidente : Yasmeen Abu-Laban (University of Alberta)

Discussant/Commentateur/Commentatrice : Fiona Robinson (Carleton University)


Session Abstract: This panel invites consideration of the emergence and impact of conventions, declarations and compacts asking: what is gained or ignored if the United Nations is theorized in relation to its role in knowledge production about human rights? Since the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United Nations has been a key site in the development and advancement of human rights, with written statements in the form of declarations, conventions, and compacts which, even though they may be non-binding, potentiate a moment of consensus for a common approach on pressing global challenges. Dominant realist perspectives since the 1970s place emphasis on theorizing the role of the UN as an international organization of competing state interests; however, non-governmental actors have also played a key role, including through international fora that have led to important declarations concerning inter alia women’s rights, racial discrimination and Indigenous rights.


Human Remains, Human Rights: How International Frameworks Facilitate Knowledge Production Trans-nationally: Nicole Anderson (University of Toronto), Abigail Bakan (University of Toronto)
Abstract: This paper examines how the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and other UN Conventions have facilitated the repatriation of Indigenous human remains. It considers the ethical, political and trans-national implications this has on knowledge production for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. In exploring this intersection between Indigenous cultural autonomy, human rights and collective memory, I show how legacies of colonialism can be addressed both within and between states. By drawing upon ethnographic fieldwork from Edinburgh University’s Anatomical Museum, I illustrate the pedagogical implications of the containment and movement of Indigenous human remains across borders. Utilising document analysis, I show how UNDRIP’s Article 12, the International Council of Museum’s Code of Ethics and UNESCO-related publications have helped construct these transnational relationships. Despite these frameworks not being legally binding, I show the significant cultural and political impact repatriation has for both the dead and the living in both strengthening Indigenous sovereignty and cultural autonomy. By grounding these discussions through the concept of “forensic humanitarianism” (Moon, 2007), I ask whether human rights currently exist for the dead and how this is underpinned by international humanitarian customary norms.


The UN as a Knowledge Producer on Reproductive Rights: Nariya Khasanova (University of Alberta)
Abstract: The United Nations, its respective conferences and resultant written statements in the form of declarations, conventions, and compacts have been key to the production and advancement of knowledge on human rights. As essential human rights, reproductive rights have evolved as a result of multiple UN conferences, namely the UN International Conference on Human Rights (1968), the UN International Conference on Population and Development (1994), and the UN Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing (1995) with the latter being a significant juncture for the global agenda for gender equality. Given that Canada positions itself as a global champion on reproductive rights, this paper examines Canadian state’s and NGOs’ submissions to the UN Fourth World Conference on Women and Beijing and respective agenda-setting documents from the perspective of ethnic minorities. It asks whether Canada's submissions and respective statements include the reproductive realities of ethnic minorities and if so, what familial and structural considerations are at play in their decision-making


Accounting for the Human Rights of Immigration Detainees: Canada and the UN Conventions on Refugees and Rights of the Child : Falak Mujtaba (University of Toronto)
Abstract: With the global expansion of immigration detention and migration control practices, detention has emerged as a key issue for the United Nations regarding the protection of human rights of detainees. Canada has been highly criticized for its immigration detention practices and its breach of human rights commitments, including the routine practices of detaining minors and indefinite detention. As a signatory to the UN Convention on Refugees and the UN Convention of the Rights of the Child, Canada is obligated by these international conventions to protect the human rights of migrants and children. This paper examines Canada’s response to the UN Convention on Refugees and the Convention on the Rights of the Child within the context of detention, and the concerns of the obligation to protect the human rights of detainees and the approach to alternatives to detention. Framed within a feminist and critical race perspective, the paper will use discourse analysis of key government documents to address the racialized and gendered dimensions of Canada’s detention practices in the context of these conventions.


Drafting the UN Global Compact on Refugees: The Influence of Non-Governmental Organizations: Elim Ng (University of Alberta)
Abstract: In its short life, the Global Compact on Refugees has garnered significant controversy. Proponents claim that the Compact provides a roadmap to more coordinated responses to refugee flows while critics argue that the Compact allows rich countries to insulate themselves from the burden of caring for displaced persons. This paper investigates the participation of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in the drafting of this much debated document. NGOs have been central to many UN processes and operations, but they have also been accused of misconduct and were never elected by the people whom they purportedly serve. To what extent have NGOs influenced the writing of the 2018 UN Global Compact on Refugees? I investigate this question by analyzing written submissions from the International Council of Voluntary Agencies (ICVA), juxtaposing their concerns with the final Compact. The written submissions were part of a two-year consultative process and respond to early drafts of the Compact. The ICVA is an international network of NGOs that retains a global reach and includes many of the most established NGOs involved in refugee assistance. The written submissions reflect the varied perspectives of ICVA members. This paper proceeds in four parts. Part one provides background on NGO involvement at the UN and at the UNHCR in particular. Part two discusses the Global Compact on Refugees, the events precipitating its creation and the drafting process. Part three examines the ICVA’s written submissions, and part four reveals the extent to which the Compact addresses the ICVA’s expressed concerns.




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