S. James Anaya
Encyclopedia
S. James Anaya is the American
James J. Lenoir Professor of Human Rights Law and Policy at the University of Arizona
's James E. Rogers College of Law
. In March
2008, he was appointed by the United Nations
as its Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples.
(B.A., 1980) and Harvard Law School
(J.D., 1983). At Harvard Law School, he was a member of the Board of Student Advisers. He teaches and writes in the areas of international human rights, constitutional law
, and issues concerning indigenous peoples
.
Anaya has served as a consultant for organizations and government agencies in numerous countries on matters of human rights and indigenous peoples, and he has represented indigenous groups from many parts of North and Central America in land mark cases before courts and international organizations. He was the lead counsel for the indigenous
parties in the case of Awas Tingni v. Nicaragua
, in which the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
for the first time upheld indigenous land rights as a matter of international law. In addition, he directed the legal team that successfully achieved a judgment by the Supreme Court of Belize
affirming the traditional land rights of the Maya people of that country.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
James J. Lenoir Professor of Human Rights Law and Policy at the University of Arizona
University of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
's James E. Rogers College of Law
James E. Rogers College of Law
James E. Rogers College of Law is the law school at the University of Arizona located in Tucson, Arizona and was the first law school founded in the State of Arizona, opening its doors in 1915. Formerly known as University of Arizona College of Law, it was renamed in 1999 in honor of noted...
. In March
2008, he was appointed by the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
as its Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of Indigenous Peoples.
Education and work
Anaya is a graduate of the University of New MexicoUniversity of New Mexico
The University of New Mexico at Albuquerque is a public research university located in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in the United States. It is the state's flagship research institution...
(B.A., 1980) and Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School
Harvard Law School is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is the oldest continually-operating law school in the United States and is home to the largest academic law library in the world. The school is routinely ranked by the U.S...
(J.D., 1983). At Harvard Law School, he was a member of the Board of Student Advisers. He teaches and writes in the areas of international human rights, constitutional law
Constitutional law
Constitutional law is the body of law which defines the relationship of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the legislature and the judiciary....
, and issues concerning indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples
Indigenous peoples are ethnic groups that are defined as indigenous according to one of the various definitions of the term, there is no universally accepted definition but most of which carry connotations of being the "original inhabitants" of a territory....
.
Anaya has served as a consultant for organizations and government agencies in numerous countries on matters of human rights and indigenous peoples, and he has represented indigenous groups from many parts of North and Central America in land mark cases before courts and international organizations. He was the lead counsel for the indigenous
parties in the case of Awas Tingni v. Nicaragua
Awas Tingni
Awas Tingni is an indigenous Mayagna community of some 2,400 members on the Miskito Coast of Nicaragua, in the municipality of Waspam in the Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte. Awas Tingni is located near the junction of the Rio Wawa and the river Awas Tingni. In Mayagna, "Awas Tingni" means...
, in which the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The Inter-American Court of Human Rights is an autonomous judicial institution based in the city of San José, Costa Rica. Together with the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, it makes up the human rights protection system of the Organization of American States , which serves to uphold and...
for the first time upheld indigenous land rights as a matter of international law. In addition, he directed the legal team that successfully achieved a judgment by the Supreme Court of Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
affirming the traditional land rights of the Maya people of that country.
Publications
- Indigenous Peoples in International Law (Oxford Univ. Press, 1996, 2d. ed. 2004). ISBN 0195173503
- International Human Rights: Problems of Law, Policy, and Practice (4th ed. 2006) (co-authored with Richard B. Lillich, Hurst Hannun & Dinah L. Shelton) ISBN 0316526878
- The Protection of Indigenous Peoples' Rights Over Lands and Natural Resources Under the Inter-American Human Rights System, 14 Harv. Hum. Rts. J. 33 (2001) (co-author with Robert A. Williams, Jr.).
- The Native Hawaiian People and International Human Rights Law: Toward a Remedy for Past and Continuing Wrongs, 28 Ga. L. Rev. 309 (1994), reprinted in International Law and Indigenous Peoples 309 (S. James Anaya ed., 2003).
- A Contemporary Definition of the International Norm of Self-Determination, 3 Transnat'l L. & Contemp. Probs. 131 (1993).
External links
- James Anaya official website
- Office of the United Nations Office High Commissioner for Human Rights
- Curriculum Vitae.
- Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy Program
- ArizonaNativeNet
- Harper, Samuel (1996) "James Anaya and the case of the Awas Tingni" On-Line News Accessed17 August 2009
- Respect for Sacred Sites: Protecting Indigenous Burial Grounds under International Law A talk at the Institute for Advanced Study, University of Minnesota, December 10, 2008