Richard Carver is co-editor of the Journal of Human Rights Practice (Oxford). This was co-founded by Dr Brian Phillips of CENDEP in 2009. The journal focuses on the impact of human rights practice and contemporary challenges. Over the past year, it has looked in particular at how human rights can help to understand responses to the coronavirus pandemic, as well as assessing the impact of Covid-19 on the work of human rights defenders.
Human rights and forced migration: policy and practice
Principal Investigator(s): Dr Richard Carver
Contact: rcarver@brookes.ac.uk
About us
Our work concentrates on human rights research and forced migration research where policy, practice and experience are at the centre. We work in a number of countries across the world and study torture prevention, national human rights institutions, conflict induced displacement, the impact of global policies on national refugee responses, and the consequences of protracted refugee situations on different groups of people. We work with a number of organisations and institutions to explore how policy and practice can improve and be more efficient in addressing human rights and forced migration issues.
Our research engages with:
- torture prevention
- institutional protection of human rights
- human rights practice
- long term conflict-induced displacement
- refugee hosting
- civic aid
- global policies’ impact on national and local refugee responses
Related research units
Related courses
- Global Development and Humanitarian Practice (MA / PGDip / PGCert)
- Shelter after Disaster (PGCert)
Research impact
Our research in the human rights field mainly focuses on assessing the impact of various institutional protections of human rights. This includes the work of human rights commissions and Ombuds offices, and particularly the effectiveness of torture prevention measures. We aim to develop close partnerships and exchanges of information with practitioners and institutions at the both the national and international levels.
Research on torture prevention has been particularly impactful, with several international and national NGOs adapting their strategic priorities in line with our research findings. (A multi-country research project led by CENDEP concluded that safeguards at the time of arrest were the most important factor in protecting people from torture).
The United Nations Committee Against Torture and SubCommittee on Prevention of Torture, as well as the European Committee for the Prevention of Torture, have been in continuing consultation with CENDEP’s Richard Carver and Lisa Handley, and have incorporated their findings into their practice. Richard and Lisa have also worked with institutions at the national level, such as the Public Defender’s Office in the Republic of Georgia.