Date: Thursday 23 August
Time: 13:45-14:30
Place: Bergen Resource Centre for International Development, Jekteviksbakken 31, Bergen
Maja Janmyr (Professor of Law at the University of Oslo and Head of the LawTransform Migration Unit) was awarded the Chr. Michelsen Prize for 2018 for her article “No Country of Asylum: ‘Legitimizing’ Lebanon’s Rejection of the 1951 Refugee Convention” (International Journal of Refugee Law 2017).
Lebanon and its continued rejection of ratifying the Refugee Convention represents an interesting and to some extent paradoxical case, as Lebanon engaged actively in the establishment of the international refugee regime. The resistance is, in part, based on a widespread and real, or simply politically expedient, uncertainty as to the obligations that come with the Convention, for example, that ratification would imply permanent settlement of refugees in its territory. Further, the very term ‘refugee’ is contentious as it might be regarded as an unfriendly act towards the Arab neighbours. In this lunch talk, Maja Janmyr will give an introduction to her work, followed by a Q&A session.
Introduction by Ottar Mæstad (CMI Director, tbc*)