Roundtable on Human Rights, Minority Rights and Pluralism
On November 26, 2018 the Global Centre for Pluralism, in partnership with the Permanent Mission of Canada, hosted a roundtable discussion in Geneva, Switzerland on how pluralism can complement and enhance the practice of human and minority rights. The roundtable included opening remarks by Canadian Ambassador Rosemary McCarney as well as presentations by Dr. Corinne Lennox of the University of London, and Dr. Fernand de Varennes, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues.
“Pluralism creates fertile ground for human rights by promoting an ethic of intercultural understanding that complements the human rights framework.” – Dr. Corinne Lennox
The discussion focused on Dr. Lennox’s paper “Human Rights, Minority Rights, Non-Discrimination and Pluralism,” which highlights the key points of intersection between pluralism and human rights, and how integrating a pluralism approach can support human rights practitioners and policymakers.
Dr. de Varennes elaborated on how applying a pluralism lens to his mandate can strengthen his ongoing work addressing issues of statelessness, hate speech, the prevention of ethnic conflict, and improving education for minority groups. “There is value in using the prism of pluralism to look at how human rights are understood, implemented, and on occasion disregarded.” – Dr. de Varennes
Rosemary McCarney
Canadian Permanent Representative to the United Nations
Dr. Corinne Lennox
School of Advanced Studies, University of London
Dr. Fernand de Varennes
UN Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues
