The Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law (RWI) is an independent academic institution dedicated to the promotion of human rights through research, training and education. The Institute is named after Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat, in order to pay homage to his well-known humanitarian work in Hungary at the end of the Second World War. In legal terms the Institute is a charitable trust under Swedish private law and is governed by a board of trustees. Established in 1984 at the Faculty of Law at Lund University, Sweden, the Institute is currently involved in organising three Master Programmes and an interdisciplinary human rights programme at the undergraduate level. Host to one of the largest human rights libraries in northern Europe and engaged in various research and publication activities, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute provides researchers and students with a conducive study environment.
With funding from, among others, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), a wide range of training and capacity building programmes in the field of human rights are carried out in Sweden and abroad.
The activities of the Institute do not involve official reporting on state performance, monitoring of state compliance or other methods of work in the human rights field that could be considered confrontational in character.
Apart from the close cooperation RWI has with Lund University, the Institute maintains extensive relationships with several other academic institutions as well as international organisations, non-governmental organisations and government institutions worldwide. It also participates in various networks of Nordic, European and international institutions, within the framework of its mandate.
Academic Education
Postgraduate studies in human rights
The Institute organises three Master Programmes in cooperation with the Faculty of Law at Lund University, one in International Human Rights Law and one in Human Rights and Intellectual Property Rights Law. The latter programme is co-sponsored by the WIPO Worldwide Academy in Geneva. The third Master Programme in co-operation with ILO on human rights and international labour standards will commence in autumn 2006.
The Master Programmes offer courses leading to a LL.M. degree and provide students with advanced knowledge of public international law, international organisations, human rights, intellectual property rights, refugee law, humanitarian law and other related subjects. The purpose of the Programmes is to prepare candidates for professional careers and/or further academic studies in the human rights field.
The Master Programmes begin in September of each year and last for three semesters. The Programmes consist of three parts of equal importance: obligatory courses, elective courses and a master thesis. The thesis work consists of the preparation and public defence of an essay of 60-70 pages, with professorial supervision, on a specialised topic within the general sphere of the courses offered. Studies are open to both Swedish and foreign students. Students from developing countries are eligible to apply for scholarships through funding provided by Sida, the Swedish Institute and other sources.
Undergraduate studies in human rights
This is a two-year programme at the undergraduate level. The courses within the programme were developed and are administered by the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, the Department of Political Science, the Department of History and RWI, all within Lund University.
The courses provide knowledge of human rights from an interdisciplinary perspective, including knowledge of international and regional treaties with particular reference to their historical and ideological contexts, applicability and implementation.
The purpose of the programme is to give students useful tools for analysing the implementation of human rights law and national and international structures important for the human rights system, as well as to enhance skills for critical analysis of international discourses relating to historical, ethical, religious and ideological perspectives and concepts.
Technical Cooperation
With funding primarily from Sida, the Institute carries out a wide range of human rights capacity building programmes in Sweden and abroad. The programmes target government agencies, academic institutions and non-governmental organisations in developing countries and countries in transition. These programmes are usually long-term commitments, both in terms of financial support and programme development. The Institute carries out programmes in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Europe. To assist in the co-ordination of activities abroad, the Institute maintains field offices in select partner countries.
A major component of the technical assistance RWI provides is training for key persons and the transfer of knowledge and skills to target institutions. The training is either organised through multilateral programmes, with participants from several countries or on a bilateral basis. The multilateral programmes are mainly organised in Lund, while the regional and bilateral programmes generally take place in the respective regions and countries.
In addition to training, other components offer support in setting up documentation centres and advice on management and organisational issues. The majority of the programmes target academic institutions, the judiciary, prosecutors, attorneys, law enforcement and prison officials, representatives of national human rights commissions and ombudsman institutions, traditional leaders, parliamentarians, journalists, minorities and indigenous peoples, and representatives of non-governmental organisations. Additional themes of the technical co-operation programmes include human rights of women and good governance.
Research
Partly in co-operation with the Faculty of Law at Lund University, professors, lecturers and visiting academics engaged in public international law and human rights teaching and research are often based at RWI. Doctoral candidates at the Faculty of Law working on dissertations involving subjects outlined above have their offices at the Institute. On a selective basis the Institute also carries out applied or policy-based research, with a focus on specific human rights questions.
Library
Holding one of northern Europe’s largest collections of materials in the field of public international law in general and international human rights law in particular, the Institute library provides researchers and students with a conducive study and learning environment. The Library of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute is a reference library open to the public.
Publications
In cooperation with Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, an imprint of Brill Academic Publishers, RWI has initiated five series of publications and publishes a number of related books and journals.
The Raoul Wallenberg Human Rights Library (Blue Series) contains monographs, collections of essays and selected documents on important issues within human rights. At present some 20 volumes have been published in this series.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Human Rights guides (Red Series) provide systematic presentations of instruments and documents on specific human rights themes.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Professional Guides to Human Rights (Orange Series) are designed to provide professionals with tools and resources for reference, research, education and training in human rights, including teaching manuals on human rights for the police and for other professionals working in the administration of justice.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Series on Intergovernmental Human Rights Documentation (Green Series) includes volumes containing the concluding observations of the United Nations human rights treaty bodies and relevant documentation of intergovernmental organisations.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute New Authors Series (Yellow Series). With regular intervals, the Institute publishes a selection of the latest master theses of students in Lund.
This co-operation with Martinus Nijhoff further includes the publication of four journals in the area of international law, the Baltic Yearbook of International Law, the Chinese Yearbook of Human Rights, the International Journal on Minority and Group Rights and the Nordic Journal of International Law.(...).
Link,http://www.rwi.lu.se/institute/aboutrwi.shtml, consultado a 11 de Outubro de 2006.
With funding from, among others, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), a wide range of training and capacity building programmes in the field of human rights are carried out in Sweden and abroad.
The activities of the Institute do not involve official reporting on state performance, monitoring of state compliance or other methods of work in the human rights field that could be considered confrontational in character.
Apart from the close cooperation RWI has with Lund University, the Institute maintains extensive relationships with several other academic institutions as well as international organisations, non-governmental organisations and government institutions worldwide. It also participates in various networks of Nordic, European and international institutions, within the framework of its mandate.
Academic Education
Postgraduate studies in human rights
The Institute organises three Master Programmes in cooperation with the Faculty of Law at Lund University, one in International Human Rights Law and one in Human Rights and Intellectual Property Rights Law. The latter programme is co-sponsored by the WIPO Worldwide Academy in Geneva. The third Master Programme in co-operation with ILO on human rights and international labour standards will commence in autumn 2006.
The Master Programmes offer courses leading to a LL.M. degree and provide students with advanced knowledge of public international law, international organisations, human rights, intellectual property rights, refugee law, humanitarian law and other related subjects. The purpose of the Programmes is to prepare candidates for professional careers and/or further academic studies in the human rights field.
The Master Programmes begin in September of each year and last for three semesters. The Programmes consist of three parts of equal importance: obligatory courses, elective courses and a master thesis. The thesis work consists of the preparation and public defence of an essay of 60-70 pages, with professorial supervision, on a specialised topic within the general sphere of the courses offered. Studies are open to both Swedish and foreign students. Students from developing countries are eligible to apply for scholarships through funding provided by Sida, the Swedish Institute and other sources.
Undergraduate studies in human rights
This is a two-year programme at the undergraduate level. The courses within the programme were developed and are administered by the Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, the Department of Political Science, the Department of History and RWI, all within Lund University.
The courses provide knowledge of human rights from an interdisciplinary perspective, including knowledge of international and regional treaties with particular reference to their historical and ideological contexts, applicability and implementation.
The purpose of the programme is to give students useful tools for analysing the implementation of human rights law and national and international structures important for the human rights system, as well as to enhance skills for critical analysis of international discourses relating to historical, ethical, religious and ideological perspectives and concepts.
Technical Cooperation
With funding primarily from Sida, the Institute carries out a wide range of human rights capacity building programmes in Sweden and abroad. The programmes target government agencies, academic institutions and non-governmental organisations in developing countries and countries in transition. These programmes are usually long-term commitments, both in terms of financial support and programme development. The Institute carries out programmes in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Europe. To assist in the co-ordination of activities abroad, the Institute maintains field offices in select partner countries.
A major component of the technical assistance RWI provides is training for key persons and the transfer of knowledge and skills to target institutions. The training is either organised through multilateral programmes, with participants from several countries or on a bilateral basis. The multilateral programmes are mainly organised in Lund, while the regional and bilateral programmes generally take place in the respective regions and countries.
In addition to training, other components offer support in setting up documentation centres and advice on management and organisational issues. The majority of the programmes target academic institutions, the judiciary, prosecutors, attorneys, law enforcement and prison officials, representatives of national human rights commissions and ombudsman institutions, traditional leaders, parliamentarians, journalists, minorities and indigenous peoples, and representatives of non-governmental organisations. Additional themes of the technical co-operation programmes include human rights of women and good governance.
Research
Partly in co-operation with the Faculty of Law at Lund University, professors, lecturers and visiting academics engaged in public international law and human rights teaching and research are often based at RWI. Doctoral candidates at the Faculty of Law working on dissertations involving subjects outlined above have their offices at the Institute. On a selective basis the Institute also carries out applied or policy-based research, with a focus on specific human rights questions.
Library
Holding one of northern Europe’s largest collections of materials in the field of public international law in general and international human rights law in particular, the Institute library provides researchers and students with a conducive study and learning environment. The Library of the Raoul Wallenberg Institute is a reference library open to the public.
Publications
In cooperation with Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, an imprint of Brill Academic Publishers, RWI has initiated five series of publications and publishes a number of related books and journals.
The Raoul Wallenberg Human Rights Library (Blue Series) contains monographs, collections of essays and selected documents on important issues within human rights. At present some 20 volumes have been published in this series.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Human Rights guides (Red Series) provide systematic presentations of instruments and documents on specific human rights themes.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Professional Guides to Human Rights (Orange Series) are designed to provide professionals with tools and resources for reference, research, education and training in human rights, including teaching manuals on human rights for the police and for other professionals working in the administration of justice.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute Series on Intergovernmental Human Rights Documentation (Green Series) includes volumes containing the concluding observations of the United Nations human rights treaty bodies and relevant documentation of intergovernmental organisations.
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute New Authors Series (Yellow Series). With regular intervals, the Institute publishes a selection of the latest master theses of students in Lund.
This co-operation with Martinus Nijhoff further includes the publication of four journals in the area of international law, the Baltic Yearbook of International Law, the Chinese Yearbook of Human Rights, the International Journal on Minority and Group Rights and the Nordic Journal of International Law.(...).
Link,http://www.rwi.lu.se/institute/aboutrwi.shtml, consultado a 11 de Outubro de 2006.
