Alston gets Dutch school doctorate degree in human rights

Former UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings Prof. Philip Alston of the New York University School of Law, received an honorary doctorate degree from the prestigious Maastricht University in the Netherlands, along with five other honorees for their outstanding contributions to their fields of specialization. The conferment rites were held last January 20, 2011, at the Vrijhtof Theater in Maastricht, The Netherlands, and was attended by more than 500 academics, friends and admirers. It was presided by Prof. Gerard Mols, rector magnificus of the Maastricht University. “Philip Alston is one of the world's most authoritative academics in the field of human rights, and author of a wide-ranging and substantial oeuvre. His work is characterized by a high degree of erudition and originality. He has a sharp tongue and enjoys knocking down sacred cows. He's also done a great deal of practical work for the United Nations, as member of supervisory committees and as Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial executions”, stated Prof. Menno Kamminga of the MA Faculty of Law, in his testimonial to Alston. Karapatan and the International Coordinating Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICCHRP) presented Prof. Alston with a plaque of recognition, after the conferment rites. The plaque of appreciation which was presented by Karapatan chair Ms. Marie Hilao and Rev. Cesar Taguba and Dr. Angie Gonzales of the ICCHRP reads: “This plaque of appreciation is conferred to Prof. Philip Alston for his resolute fight for human rights amidst adversity, particularly his valuable role in bringing to the attention of the United Nations and the international community his objective and fearless findings on the role of state security forces in grave human rights violations under the counter-insurgency program in the Philippines, the marked reduction of extrajudicial killings following his report, and the institutional recognition of non-government organizations like KARAPATAN in monitoring government compliance with UN conventions and treaties on human rights.” Prof. Alston thanked Ms. Hilao and the ICCHRP delegation for the plaque. Prof. Theo van Boven of the Faculty of Law, and a long time human rights academic and solidarity advocate, specifically for the Philippines, was also delighted and deeply expressed his appreciation for the presence of the Philippine delegation and the presentation of the plaque to Alston.#