François Crépeau Fondements du droit canadien Moot Court – 21 janvier 2013 Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Introduction Presumptuous IHRL born with the UDHR, on 10 December 1948 Three sections: 1. Les fondements historiques du droit international des droits de lhomme 2. A living tradition: the protection of the most vulnerable and the meaning of citizenship 3. A case study: the rights of migrants Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Culture des DH Philosophie des droits de lhomme remonte au 18e siècle. Philosophie des Lumières: Avénement du sujet Kant: impératif catégorique Constitutions américaine et française Mais, avant la seconde guerre mondiale: Aucune normativité internationale générale Aucune institutionalisation solide Aucun mouvement des droits de lhomme Aucune culture des droits humains Attendre les chartes au Canada Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Sources juridiques historiques du DIDH 1. Piraterie 2. Liberté religieuse 3. Esclavage 4. Droit de la guerre 5. Droit humanitaire 6. Protection diplomatique 7. Minorités 8. Travailleurs 9. Réfugiés 10. Roosevelt 11. Nürmberg Toutes occidentales (critique de Mutua) Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

1. La piraterie en haute mer Faits accomplis en haute mer « au moyen de violence contre les biens et les personnes dans un but de lucre. Ils doivent être distingués à la fois des actes similaires commis sur la terre ferme ou en mer territoriale et des entreprises fondées sur des buts politiques » (Nguyen) Activité maritime très ancienne Lettres de course: corsaires Traité de Paris du 30 mars 1856 (Guerre de Crimée) Pas disparue: Mer de Chine, Mer Rouge Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

2. La protection de la liberté religieuse Guerres de religion européennes des 15 e et 16 e siècles Ghettos juifs et pogroms Traités de Westphalie de 1648 Traité de Paris de 1763 Traité de Constantinople de 1881 Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

3. Labolition de lesclavage Lesclavage fut légal jusquen : UK :1772 Vermont:1777 Danemark :1792 Haïti :1793 Colonies UK: 1807 (interdiction de la traite) Colonies UK: 1834 (Emancipation Act) France: ; 1848 USA : 1820 ; 1863 Cuba :1886 Brésil :1888 Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

3. Labolition de lesclavage Somersetts Case [England, 1772]: The state of slavery is of such a nature that it is incapable of being introduced on any reasons, moral or political, but only by positive law Congrès de Vienne de 1815 Dred Scott v. Sanford [USSC, 1857]: slaves are property. Acte général de Berlin de 1885 Traité anti-esclavage de Bruxelles de 1890 Pacte de la SDN, 1919 Convention relative à lesclavage, 1926 Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

3. Labolition de lesclavage Lesclavage existe encore: 300M desclaves Nouvelles formes desclavage Siliadin c. France, CEDH 2005 Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

4. Le droit de la guerre La guerre juste: jus ad bellum, jus in bello Paquete Habana (USSC 1900): « at the present day, by the general consent of the civilized nations of the world, and independently of any express treaty or other public act, it is an established rule of international law, founded on considerations of humanity to a poor and industrious order of men, and of the mutual convenience of belligerent states, that coast fishing vessels, with their implements and supplies, cargoes and crews, unarmed and honestly pursuing their peaceful calling of catching and bringing in fresh fish, are exempt from capture as prize of war. Conventions La Haye 1907 Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

5. Le droit humanitaire : Guerre de Crimée: Florence Nightingale + The Charge of the Light Brigade Over killed, incl. over ¾ who died of wounds or disease. 1859: Bataille de Solferino: morts et blessés 1863: Henri Dunant: Comité international et permanent de secours aux militaires blessés en temps de guerre (futur CICR) Convention de Genève du 22 août 1864 pour l'amélioration du sort des militaires blessés dans les armées en campagne : 35 instruments internationaux. Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

6. Le droit de la responsabilité de lÉtat et la protection diplomatique Commerçants (foires, consuls), diplomates (premières ambassades), simples citoyens LÉtat national ne défend pas un droit de la personne, mais exerce son droit souverain de prendre à son compte les intérêts dun de ses citoyens. Plusieurs affaires internationales contemporaines: Mavrommatis, Nottebohm, Barcelona Traction, etc. United States of America (Chattin) v. United Mexican States, U.S.-Mexican Claims Commission, 1927 Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

7. La protection internationale des minorités « Régime des capitulations » entre puissances occidentales et lEmpire Ottoman Protection des étrangers dans lEmpire Ottoman: létranger a le droit de voyager et de commercer il est exempt dimpôt, sauf de droits de douanes il bénéficie de la liberté de religion et de linviolabilité de son domicile il ne peut être jugé, même en matière pénale, que par son consul. Protection des Chrétiens de lEmpire Ottoman. « Interventions dhumanité » pour la protection des minorités « Doctrine de Monroe » (Cuba, 1898) Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

7. La protection internationale des minorités Sous la SDN À la fin de la guerre, les trois grands « empires centraux » sont disloqués. 14 points de Wilson Régime de traités sur les minorités, imposé aux puissances vaincues ou nouvelles Écoles minoritaires en Albanie (avis consultatif, CPJI, 1935) Échec du système devant la montée des fascismes Rejet du système après la guerre, en faveur dun régime de droits humains individuels. Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

8. Les droits des travailleurs 19 e siècle: suite à la révolution industrielle, mouvement en faveur de normes internationales du travail. Trois arguments: Humanitaire : améliorer le sort des ouvriers. Politique : consolider la paix sociale. Économique : assurer un « level-playing field » au plan commercial. Constitution de l'OIT (1919): grosse activité normative Déclaration de Philadelphie (1944) Le travail n'est pas une marchandise. Les libertés d'expression et d'association sont indispensables au progrès. La pauvreté des uns est un danger pour la prospérité de tous. Tous les êtres humains, quels que soient leur race, leur croyance ou leur sexe, ont le droit de poursuivre leur progrès matériel et leur développement spirituel dans la liberté et la dignité, dans la sécurité économique et avec des chances égales. Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

9. La protection des réfugiés Lasile est une tradition ancienne, immémoriale, transcivilisationnelle, liée à la grande loi d'hospitalité 1919: 1,5 M réfugiés/apatrides russes : Nombreux arrangements et conventions: documents didentité et de voyage, réfugiés russes, arméniens, juifs allemands, républicains espagnols : OIR 1950: UNHCR 1951: Convention de Genève sur le statut des réfugiés Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

10. Les quatre libertés de Roosevelt 1941: Freedom of speech and expression Freedom of every person to worship God in his own way Freedom from want Freedom from fear Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

10. Les quatre libertés de Roosevelt Freedom from want is detailed in 1944: Right to a useful and remunerative job Right to earn enough to provide adequate food and clothing and recreation Right of every farmer to raise and sell his products at a return which will give him and his family a decent living Right of every business man, large and small, to trade with freedom from unfair competition and domination by monopolies Right of every family to a decent home Right to adequate medical care and the opportunity to achieve and enjoy good health Right to adequate protection from the economic fears of old age, and sickness, and accident and unemployment Right to a good education This is a second Bill of Rights. Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

11. Nuremberg Accord de Londres du 8 août 1945 concernant la poursuite et le châtiment des grands criminels de guerre des Puissances européennes de l'Axe et portant statut du tribunal international militaire Crée le Tribunal de Nüremberg Définit les crimes contre la paix (Pacte Briand-Kellogg de 1928) crimes de guerre (droit de la guerre) crimes contre lhumanité (nouveau) Jugement du 1 er octobre 1946 pose de nombreux principes: Responsabilité pénale individuelle Refus de la défense dobéissance (Eichmann) Convention sur la prévention et la répression du crime de génocide de 1948 Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Les fondements de notre DIDH Ces régimes précurseurs font tous partie de laventure intellectuelle qui nous mène au régime international des droits humains qui est le nôtre. La tradition des DH ne naît pas avec la DUDH en Elle est à la fois synthèse (codification) et développement. Comme la Rule of Law de Dicey. Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Sovereignty v. Human Rights Conflict of paradigms Ancient paradigm: Sovereignty States have the power to act as they please, as long as they do not interfere with the same by other States New Paradigm: Human Rights Individuals have the right to object to the exercise of State powers and may claim services from States No hierarchy in IL Both paradigms coexist and must be reconciled at best UN system is not Kelsens pyramid: constellations Hierarchy in domestic law Constitutional Law has generally placed human rights above parliamentary sovereignty. Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

A rich normative structure Binding UN instruments: 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees 1965 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) 1966 International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) 1973 International Convention on the Suppression and Punishment of the Crime of Apartheid (ICSPCA) 1979 Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) 1984 Convention Against Torture (CAT) 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) 1990 International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (MWC) 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) 2006 International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance Other binding instruments: ILO, UNESCO Soft law, including 1948 UDHR and 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Regional normative regimes: Europe, Latin America, Africa Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

A complex institutional framework UN General Assembly Human Rights Council OHCHR: Under-Secretary General Human rights officers Treaty bodies Special procedures Regional bodies ECtHR, IACtHR, ACtHPR IAComHR, AComHPR Council of Europe, OSCE NGOS: AI, HRW, HRFirst... Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

A living legal tradition All these institutions report from field and interpret IHRL. A living tree: Doctrine of progressive interpretation, rather than that of the framers intent 1993 Vienna Declaration: All human rights are universal, indivisible and interdependent and interrelated: Universality over cultural relativity Adopted by consensus: all States CSOs throughout the world use HR to protect the most vulnerable The general objective is to protect the dignity of all human beings Dignity can be defined as the exercise of autonomy, the ability to make choices for oneself, the protection from being forced to do what others deem appropriate Dignity is not well articulated in law Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

The artificial divisions of HR Civil and political rights: the liberal rights Major rights and freedoms: life, liberty, security; expression; association; from torture; from arbitrary arrest, detention, search and seizure; from unfair trial;... Content of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Economic, social and cultural rights The post-war social agenda The issue of justiciability The fallacious distinction btw positive and negative rights Conditions: Right not to be discriminated = obligation to justify distinctions Right to a minimum level of services Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Examples of social rights Grootboom: right to housing Pashim Banga: right to minimum health care services Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

HR as an advocacy tool IHRL and domestic HRL are a tool for vulnerable persons and discrete and insular minorities, who have no political leverage: Industrial workers Women Aboriginals Minorities (linguistic, ethnic, religious, cultural...) Detainees LGBTI Migrants For them, HR matter: they have no other tool P. Williams on the empowering role of Law for minorities, despite its roots in the exercise of power by the dominant class But law by itself doesnt change a social situation, absent a political mobilisation Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

HR are a perfectible tool Debates continue as to: Relevance of IHRL in specific cultural contexts: Role of interpretation Asian values, Sharia law, place of the individual within the group Legitimacy of IHRL in non-European contexts: neo- colonialism: Mutua Efficiency of IHRL in the face of so many egregious human rights violations Conflict of paradigm between power and law is not resolved HR will have to be completed/superseded: De Sousa Santos: Human-centred HR are wrong analytical grid for environmental issues where life cycles are affected and where humans are only one element among many others Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Protection of the rights of migrants Migrants are the latest of such vulnerable groups to use their HR guarantees in courts Migrants have vulnerabilities: irregular migrants, temporary migrant workers, domestic workers… Migrants rarely complain : legally insignificant Migrants do not vote : politically insignificant Migrants do not mobilise for their rights and we do not mobilise for them. Migrants are good political scapegoats for social ills Nationalist populist discourses go uncontradicted Public opinions are easily convinced Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Protection of the rights of migrants Politicians cannot be expected to protect the rights of outsiders with no political clout or constituency: Absence of political pushback Only courts or quasi-judicial NHRI will do it: Their legitimacy doesnt rest on political representation Democracy is made of: political representation + human rights guarantees + rule of law (access to justice) The burden rests on civil society: NGOs, churches, pro bono lawyers, concerned citizens... Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Migrants are citizens Not necessarily Citizens But active part of city life, at all levels, even when undocumented: They participate in the competitiveness of the economy Working conditions that we dont accept : Triple D Lower wages, long hours, polluted environment… Repression against illegal employers is minimal We all benefit from this delocalisation sur place They usually benefit little from the social system Their children are Citizens of tomorrow Trade the Us/Them dichotomy for the I/We discourse Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013

Conclusion No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of they friends's or of thine own were. Any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind. And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee. John Donne ( ) Crépeau Foundations Plenary 2013