On December 9-10, 2008, NGO Monitor hosted its annual conference marking the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) and the Genocide Convention.  Co-sponsored with Bar Ilan University´s Faculty of Law and Department of Political Studies, the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs´ Global Law Forum and Legacy Heritage Fund, the conference brought together academics, ambassadors and experts in international relations, international law and human rights to analyze the impact of the UDHR and the role of the human rights movement today.

The keynote address by Canada´s former Justice Minister and Attorney General Prof. Irwin Cotler focused on the international initiative to prosecute Iran’s President Ahmadinejad for incitement to genocide. NGO Monitor Executive Director, Gerald Steinberg presented the results of NGO Monitor´s poll on attitudes to NGOs, politics, and human rights in Israel, including support for transparency on foreign government funding.

In sessions on December 10 at Bar Ilan University, academics and NGO officials examined the record of human rights implementation over the past 60 years, and the implications of this record.  Jessica Montell of B´Tselem joined a lively debate on one of the panels alongside Daniel Taub of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where the role of B´Tselem and other NGOs was analyzed.

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