Tidens innvirkning på flyktningers rettigheter

Mick Dumper
University of Exeter, UK

In his seminal article, Jeremy Waldron (1992) argues that historical entitlements, such as the refugee ‘right of return’ are vulnerable to the passage of time. In other words, the rights to redress can fade or become obsolete. Waldron’s argument has a critical bearing on the inclusion of refugee concerns in post-conflict settlements.

The difficulty for decision-makers and negotiators is the question of how retrospective should entitlements be.  Is there a cut-off point before which bygones should be left as bygones?If not, how far back do you go? How does one factor into future peace agreements the passing of time in assessing compensation claims and the rights of restitution?

By linking debates on obsolescence and entitlement in political philosophy and international law with the praxis and empirical data of case studies, including the rights of indigenous peoples, this presentation will attempt to delineate guidelines for the international community in addressing the Palestinian case, now that over 60 years have passed.

You can read more about Professor Mick Dumper here: 

http://socialsciences.exeter.ac.uk/politics/staff/dumper/

All are welcome!