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Upcoming Public Event: Thomas Franck Lecture by Dr. Julia Duchrow

The Berlin Potsdam Research Group “The International Rule of Law – Rise or Decline?” takes great pleasure in inviting you to a public lecture by Dr. Julia Duchrow, Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany, on

“International Law and Human Rights Activism – The Case of Amnesty International”.

For over 60 years Amnesty International investigates human rights violations, puts pressure on governments, companies, and decision-makers to respect, protect and promote human rights and mobilizes people to press for action. This work is based on the human rights obligations that are enshrined in international law and to which states have committed themselves. However, this legal basis is not static, but subject to dynamic developments in which civil society organizations play a vital role. Examples for this are the convention against torture, the arms trade treaty or the International Criminal Court. How has Amnesty International’s work changed over the years? How do global power politics affect it? And what needs to be done to strengthen international law and human rights in a multipolar world?

Julia Duchrow has been Secretary General of Amnesty International in Germany since November 2023. She holds a doctorate in international law. Until her return to Amnesty International in 2019, she headed the Human Rights & Peace department at the aid organisation “Brot für die Welt” (Bread for the World) for eight years. Previous to this, she held a position in the Asylum Policy department of Amnesty International for ten years. Julia Duchrow is an elected member of the coordination group of the Human Rights Forum and was a deputy member of the administrative board of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (2017 to 2022), a member of the board of trustees of the German Institute for Human Rights (2016 to 2020) and of the advisory board for civil crisis prevention in the German Federal Foreign Office (2015 to 2018).

The lecture will take place on Thursday, 1 February 2024, at 6.15 pm at lecture hall B, Henry Ford Building, Freie Universität Berlin (Garystraße 35, 14195 Berlin).

We look forward to welcoming you.