Clinic co-directors sign joint submission to Pompeo’s “rights commission”

On May 7, 2020, Duke Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic made a joint submission to Secretary of State Michael R. Pompeo’s Commission on Unalienable Rights. Harvard Law School International Human Rights Clinic Co-Directors Tyler Giannini and Susan Farbstein are among the signatories, which includes clinical faculty from over 20 U.S. law schools.

The Commission on Unalienable Rights is tasked with revisiting questions about what constitutes human rights, the effects of rights claims, and the role of human rights in U.S. foreign policy. As Duke Law noted in their press release, the Commission “quickly drew the attention of human rights advocates nationwide because of its troubling mandate, membership, and risks to women’s, LGBTI, and socioeconomic rights.” The joint submission seeks to “delve deeper into the ten core concerning propositions relied upon by the Commission and identifies eight principles of international human rights law that should instead guide its work.” You can read the full submission on Duke Law’s website.