Karin Lukas – författare

Both in Europe and around the world, 2017 has been another difficult year for the protection of human rights. Examples of the increased pressure on the European human rights system are apparent: the attack on the independence of the judiciary in Poland, which was responded to by the first time initiation of the rule of law procedure by the European Commission; the increasing human rights issues arising from European migration policy; Russia's suspension of its financial contribution to the Council of Europe and Turkey's lowering of its contribution; and the difficulties in appointing key human rights positions in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe.Split into its customary four parts and complemented by book reviews of recent publications on human rights in Europe, the tenth volume of the European Yearbook on Human Rights brings together renowned scholars to analyse some of the most pressing and topical human rights issues being faced in Europe today.

2018 has been another challenging year for human rights in Europe and globally. International human rights standards, the rule of law and international human rights institutions have come under increasing pressure. The eleventh volume of the European Yearbook on Human Rights discusses the backgrounds of these developments and outlines the potential implications and possible solutions. The backsliding of democracy in Poland and Hungary, the human rights fallout from Brexit and the human rights situations in Chechnya and the Ukraine are mentioned as just a few examples. The Yearbook also includes contributions on all-time classics such as the right to freedom of expression or fair trial and tensions between security and the protection of human rights, as well as more recent developments on the rights of persons with disabilities and the rights of children to be heard in political processes.The European Yearbook on Human Rights brings together renowned scholars, emerging voices and practitioners. Split into parts devoted to recent developments in the European Union, the Council of Europe and the OSCE as well as through reports from the field, the contributions engage with some of the most important human rights issues and developments in Europe. The Yearbook helps to better understand the rich landscape of the European regional human rights system and is intended to stimulate discussions, critical thinking and further research in this field.

Whilst many of us would agree that human rights are more important than corporate profits, the reality is often different; such realities as child labour and environmental destruction caused by corporate activities make this patently clear. Recognising that balancing human rights and business interests can be problematic, Corporate Accountability considers the limits of existing complaint mechanisms and examines non-judicial alternatives for conflict resolution.The innovative approach herein compiles both long-standing international expertise and findings based on 25 key interviews from experts and victims. In contrast to the current literature, which tends to provide details on the functioning of the mechanisms, this book delves further to examine the strengths and weaknesses of each mechanism and provides criteria of excellence for non-judicial grievance mechanisms. In doing so, it provides a reality-check for corporate accountability worldwide.Novel and thought provoking, Corporate Accountability will be a captivating read for academics as well as companies interested in human rights and corporate social responsibility. It will also prove of interest to related state institutions such as development agencies and other relevant ministries such as chambers of commerce, trade unions, NGOs and civil society organisations.

This detailed Commentary explores the boundaries of social rights at a European level through analysis of the Revised European Social Charter (RESC), the most comprehensive regional document on social rights. The Commentary considers the treaty as the counterpart of the European Convention on Human Rights, examining how it sets out fundamental rights in the social field. It focuses primarily on the rich jurisprudence developed by the Charter’s monitoring body, the European Committee of Social Rights (ECSR). Key features include: discussion of the application of social rights in practiceexamination of the implementation of the RESC in national lawa guide to social rights and the corresponding human rights obligations of European states that have ratified the Charteranalysis of economic, social and cultural rights in Europe across a range of areas including housing, health, education, employment, legal and social protection, migration and non-discrimination. Contributing to a deeper understanding of how state authorities and other human rights actors apply social rights in Europe, this Commentary will be an essential resource for academics and students of European law and human rights. Its presentation and analysis of the case law of the ECSR will also be beneficial for practitioners, lawmakers and human rights activists.