Johan D. van der Vyver
Encyclopedia
Johan D. van der Vyver is the I.T. Cohen Professor of International Law
and Human Rights
at Emory
law school in Atlanta
, Georgia
.
van der Vyver received a Doctor Legum, from University of Pretoria
in 1974 and a Diploma of the International and Comparative Law of Human Rights of the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France in 1986. He also has two honorary Doctor Legum degrees from the University of Zululand
and the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education
.
He was heavily involved in the promotion of human rights
in South Africa
, advocating for an end to apartheid, while a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand
, Johannesburg
.
He served as a fellow
in the Human Rights
Program at the Carter Center
from 1995 to March 1998 before becoming a professor of law at Emory University School of Law
.
He is a Senior Fellow at Emory's Center for the Study of Law and Religion
.
He is the author of several law review articles and supplements including Morality, Human Rights, and Foundation of the Law, International Criminal Court and the Concept of Mens Rea in International Criminal Law.
In October 2006, van der Vyver addressed the U.S. State Department on whether to make the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief a convention
. He argued that the government should push for "true" international consensus, rather than a "lukewarm" convention on religious tolerance.
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
and Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
at Emory
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
law school in Atlanta
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
van der Vyver received a Doctor Legum, from University of Pretoria
University of Pretoria
The University of Pretoria is a multi campus public research university located in Pretoria, the administrative and de facto capital of South Africa...
in 1974 and a Diploma of the International and Comparative Law of Human Rights of the International Institute of Human Rights in Strasbourg, France in 1986. He also has two honorary Doctor Legum degrees from the University of Zululand
University of Zululand
The University of Zululand has been designated to serve as the only comprehensive tertiary educational institution north of the uThukela River in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Its new status is in accordance with South Africa's National Plan for Higher Education aimed at eradicating inequity and...
and the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education
Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education
The Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education was a medium-sized South African university located in Potchefstroom. Tuition was mainly in Afrikaans...
.
He was heavily involved in the promotion of human rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, advocating for an end to apartheid, while a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand
University of the Witwatersrand
The University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg is a South African university situated in the northern areas of central Johannesburg. It is more commonly known as Wits University...
, Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
.
He served as a fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
in the Human Rights
Human rights
Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
Program at the Carter Center
Carter Center
The Carter Center is a nongovernmental, not-for-profit organization founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn Carter. In partnership with Emory University, The Carter Center works to advance human rights and alleviate human suffering...
from 1995 to March 1998 before becoming a professor of law at Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law is a first-tier US law school that is part of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. It is ranked #30 among ABA-approved law schools by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report...
.
He is a Senior Fellow at Emory's Center for the Study of Law and Religion
Center for the Study of Law and Religion
The Center for the Study of Law and Religion at Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, Georgia is dedicated to studying the religious dimensions of law, the legal dimensions of religion, and the interaction of legal and religious ideas and institutions, norms and practices...
.
He is the author of several law review articles and supplements including Morality, Human Rights, and Foundation of the Law, International Criminal Court and the Concept of Mens Rea in International Criminal Law.
In October 2006, van der Vyver addressed the U.S. State Department on whether to make the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief a convention
Treaty
A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...
. He argued that the government should push for "true" international consensus, rather than a "lukewarm" convention on religious tolerance.
External links
- http://cslr.law.emory.edu/people/person/name/van-der-vyver/