Forgotten Conflicts from Congo to Syria: A UN Human Rights Practitioner's Perspective
Where: Zoom Platform - h. 14.15
Description
Forgotten Conflicts from Congo to Syria: A UN Human Rights Practitioner's Perspective
The recent killing of a European Ambassador in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the tenth anniversary of the uprising in Syria have briefly drawn two of the (otherwise) forgotten conflicts of our time back into the limelight. The complexities of both contexts sit uncomfortably with increasingly voracious news cycles. Yet, sustained attention to, and understanding of, the political, security, humanitarian and human rights dynamics in protracted and "frozen" conflicts are critical to informing both Member States' and donors' decision-making and public opinions' perceptions and are often the only source of hope for affected populations. In her dialogue with students and researchers from the School of International Studies, Valentina Falco draws upon her decade-long experience as a human rights expert, lead investigator and protection practitioner with the United Nations, and reflects on the role of international organizations, academia and media in maintaining the protection of civilians and the accountability for international crimes perpetrated in conflict zones high on the international agenda.
Speaker
- Valentina Falco - United Nations
Valentina Falco has been leading the UN Department of Peace Operations' Child Protection Team in New York since June 2019. Prior to that, she served as the Chief of Investigations of the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syriana Arab Republic (2017-2019) and held several positions as a human rights officer/investigator, child protection specialist and IHL researcher, including with UNAMA in Afghanistan, MONUSCO in the Democratic Republic of Congo, OHCHR in Geneva, UNICEF Headquarters and the ICRC/British Red Cross at the Lauterpacht Centre of International Law in Cambridge.
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