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Conferences & lectures

Guest Speaker Kelebogile Zvobgo


Date & time
Friday, November 11, 2022
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Speaker(s)

Dr. Kelebogile Zvobgo

Cost

This event is free

Where

Henry F. Hall Building
1455 De Maisonneuve Blvd. W.
Room 1220

Wheel chair accessible

Yes

Kelebogile Zvobgo

Date: Friday November 11, 2022, from 1:00-2:00pm

Location: SGW-H-1220

Title: Costly Signals in the International Human Rights Regime: Why States Withdraw Treaty Reservations

 

Abstract: States often use reservations to adjust their treaty obligations. While prior research demonstrates why countries submit reservations (generally to reduce the effect of the most demanding obligations) or why they object to reservations, little work explains why states withdraw them. We argue that states withdraw reservations to signal changes in their behavior, in response to international pressure. We identify two pathways: (1) pressure from a powerful state or group of states that objects to a country’s reservations and (2) pressure from human rights committees during periodic reviews. We evaluate our expectations using novel data on reservation withdrawals, covering nine major human rights treaties, from 1976 to 2014. The analyses reveal that international and institutional pressure leads states to withdraw reservations. While previous work emphasizes domestic factors, our findings show that the international community can compel states to improve their commitments to human rights and international law.

Kelebogile Zvobgo is an Assistant Professor of Government at William & Mary, a faculty affiliate at the Global Research Institute, and founder and director of the International Justice Lab.

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