Equality and human rights: nothing but trouble? Liber amicorum Titia Loenen

This volume in honour of Professor Titia Loenen, upon her departure
from the Utrecht School of Law, offers challenging perspectives on
a number of related human rights debates, all of which are closely
linked to fundamental challenges in today’s world. The book consists
of four parts, which represent the different angles from which
the authors have looked at the core issue of this book: the close
but complicated relationship between equality and human rights.
Among the themes that cut across these approaches is the debate
on the meaning of the universality of human rights in a ‘world
of conflict and diversity’ (the title of the human rights research
programme that Titia Loenen directed in Utrecht). A second theme
deals with the relation between human rights and democracy,
and between human rights and sovereignty. A recurring topic is
religion and its position in human rights law as both an autonomous
fundamental right (the freedom of religion) and as protection
against discrimination because of beliefs. The increasing complexity
of the debate itself is caused by the emergence of new human rights
systems and institutions, new technologies and new concepts and
this is also explored. A final theme is the shift from standard setting
and monitoring to the effective implementation of both equality
and (other) human rights.