On 3 April 2019 former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein received the Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Human Rights Award from Rutgers Law School in Camden. Named in honor of the late U.S. Supreme Court justice, the Brennan Award is presented by Rutgers Law School to a foreign lawyer or judge who has made a notable contribution toward establishing or defending human rights and the rule of law.
In his remarks upon receiving the award, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein discussed the history of international politics and cautioned against nationalization, noting that the human rights violations of today are the conflicts of tomorrow. “I worry, like so many others, that what we are seeing now is the decomposition of the international order,” said Ra’ad Al Hussein. “The rules and institutions that uphold international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international refugee law are under immense pressure.” He shared that he has faith in the efforts of human rights defenders and the human rights movements around the world, “We cannot depend now on much of the leadership at the highest levels. We have to depend on ourselves and we have to have the courage to speak out and say what needs to be said.”
