Posted by BlueLaw on December 18, 2012
BlueLaw’s Human Rights and Inclusive Development Partner Janet Lord and Security and Justice Practice Manager Sarah Bumbarger travelled to Nairobi, Kenya November 26-30 to participate in a World Bank organized workshop held to review the legal and regulatory frameworks of EAC Countries on inclusive education for persons with disabilities. Janet Lord co-facilitated the workshop and presented the Desk Review of Legal and Regulatory Frameworks of EAC Countries and Compliance with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) which she and BlueLaw’s Allison deFranco contributed to.
The workshop was attended by 20 representatives of Ministries of Education and NGOs from Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda who actively participated in a fruitful discussion on current policies and recommendations for advancing inclusive education and compliance with the UN CRPD. The participants offered information on the current and emerging policies in their countries, as well as on social, cultural, and political barriers faced by persons with disabilities in accessing education.
PRACTICE INVOLVED: General News, Human Rights & Disability Inclusive Development, Security & Justice
TAGS: Human Rights, Janet Lord, Kenya, Sarah Bumbarger, Security and Justice, World Bank
Posted by BlueLaw on December 10, 2012
BlueLaw Director and Justice Sector Reform Advisor Andrew Solomon was invited by Gunagzhou University Law School to participate in an interactive conference on justice system reform in China on November 27-8, 2012. The International Symposium on China’s Evaluation Index for Judicial Reform brought together leading legal scholars and former members of China’s judiciary to discuss good practices in evaluating justice systems. As one of two international experts, Andrew Solomon briefed other participants on using international standards to initiate and guide domestic legal and judicial reform initiatives. His prepared remarks and contributions over the two day discussions also focused on describing methodologies for evaluating judicial independence, accountability, and effectiveness developed by the United Nations, Council of Europe, and the American Bar Association.
PRACTICE INVOLVED: General News, Security & Justice
TAGS: Andrew Solomon, Asia, Justice, Rule of Law
Posted by BlueLaw on August 30, 2012
Director of BlueLaw’s Security & Justice practice area and alumnus of the Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law, Andrew Solomon served as a panelist at the networking reception for international law careers hosted by the Embassy of Poland.
http://www.law.edu/2012-Spring/networking-recpetion-in-international-law-offered-at-embassy-of-poland.cfm
PRACTICE INVOLVED: General News, Security & Justice
TAGS:
Posted by BlueLaw on August 27, 2012
BlueLaw deployed DDR expert Cornelis (Kees) Steenken to Libya from May to July 2012 to support USAID in identifying entry points for assisting a Libyan-led disarmament, demobilization, and reintegration (DDR) process. The scoping mission examined the overall security context, identified key stakeholders and beneficiaries, and surveyed existing and planned DDR efforts following the popular armed uprising that ended the 42 year Gaddafi regime. Significant attention was given to engaging Libyan thuwar (revolutionaries) and katibas (brigades) in Tripoli, Benghazi, Misrata, Zintan, and in other towns and cities located throughout the country. The mission also involved interviews and briefings with Libyan officials and civil society representatives as well as with bilateral donors, the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and other international organizations.
PRACTICE INVOLVED: General News, Security & Justice
TAGS: DDR, Libya, SSR, USAID
Posted by BlueLaw on August 13, 2012
BlueLaw Director Andrew Solomon served as an international observer to the May 6, 2012 Armenian Parliamentary Elections. Andrew deployed to Armenia under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). While in Armenia, Andrew met with local government officials, election commissions, political parties, and non-governmental organizations to assess preparations for elections in an area along the still tense border with neighboring Azerbaijan. On election day, Andrew observed voting in more than 15 polling stations and observed the counting and result aggregation process at a regional election commission. His observations and findings helped shape the OSCE’s overall assessment of the Armenian elections. Andrew has contributed to 16 election observer missions in Europe and Eurasia since 1996 and is a recognized expert in international standards and legal frameworks for election administration. He specializes in voter registration, balloting procedures, and election dispute resolution. 
PRACTICE INVOLVED: General News, Human Rights & Disability Inclusive Development, Security & Justice
TAGS: Andrew Solomon, Armenia, elections, Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Rule of Law
