Walter Kälin
Encyclopedia
Walter Kälin is a preeminent Swiss
humanitarian, constitutional lawyer, international human rights law
yer, activist, and advocate. He is also known as a legal scholar and a renowned professor. He has been a leader in changing Swiss laws and international laws for humanitarian purposes and he has been published extensively on issues of human rights law, the law of internally displaced persons, refugee law, and Swiss constitutional law.
from the University of Bern and his LL.M. from Harvard Law School
.
Kälin has been a professor of international and constitutional law at the University of Bern since 1985. He is also a former Dean of the Faculty and Head of the Legal Department.
He has acted as a consultant for numerous agencies and organizations including the Swiss development agency, SDC, UNHCR, UNHCHR, UNDP, and others on matters of decentralization, human rights, and refugee law.
In 1991-1992, Kälin served as the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Kuwait under Iraqi Occupation. He was also a member of the Swiss government's Steering Committee for "the preparation of constitutional reform" and he was Chairman for the preparation of the reform of the judiciary (1995–1996).
From 2003 to 2008, Kälin was a member of the Human Rights Committee
of the United Nations.
Since 2004, Kälin has served as the Representative of the United Nations' Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons.
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
humanitarian, constitutional lawyer, international human rights law
International human rights law
International human rights law refers to the body of international law designed to promote and protect human rights at the international, regional and domestic levels...
yer, activist, and advocate. He is also known as a legal scholar and a renowned professor. He has been a leader in changing Swiss laws and international laws for humanitarian purposes and he has been published extensively on issues of human rights law, the law of internally displaced persons, refugee law, and Swiss constitutional law.
Education and career
Walter Kälin received his Doctor of LawDoctor of law
Doctor of Law or Doctor of Laws is a doctoral degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country, and includes degrees such as the LL.D., Ph.D., J.D., J.S.D., and Dr. iur.-Argentina:...
from the University of Bern and his LL.M. from Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
.
Kälin has been a professor of international and constitutional law at the University of Bern since 1985. He is also a former Dean of the Faculty and Head of the Legal Department.
He has acted as a consultant for numerous agencies and organizations including the Swiss development agency, SDC, UNHCR, UNHCHR, UNDP, and others on matters of decentralization, human rights, and refugee law.
In 1991-1992, Kälin served as the Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the situation of human rights in Kuwait under Iraqi Occupation. He was also a member of the Swiss government's Steering Committee for "the preparation of constitutional reform" and he was Chairman for the preparation of the reform of the judiciary (1995–1996).
From 2003 to 2008, Kälin was a member of the Human Rights Committee
Human Rights Committee
The United Nations Human Rights Committee is a United Nations body of 18 experts that meets three times a year for four-week sessions to consider the five-yearly reports submitted by 162 UN member states on their compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,...
of the United Nations.
Since 2004, Kälin has served as the Representative of the United Nations' Secretary-General on the Human Rights of Internally Displaced Persons.
Published work
- Kälin, Walter; Müller, Lars; Wyttenbach, Judith (2004). The Face of Human Rights. Italy: Lars Müller Publications. ISBN 3037780177
- Kälin, Walter; Kunzli, Jorg (July 2009). The Law of International Human Rights Protection. USA: Oxford University Press. ISBN 9780199565207
- Kälin, Walter; Epiney, Astrid; Heim, Lukas; Felder, Andreas (January 2003). Zum öffentlichen Recht : Völkerrecht. Switzerland: Stämpfli Verlag. ISBN 9783727215087
See also
- Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
- International Human Rights LawInternational human rights lawInternational human rights law refers to the body of international law designed to promote and protect human rights at the international, regional and domestic levels...