Jumana Sabah, assistant researchers at Muwatin Institute for Democracy and Human Rights participated in a research visit at Antwerp University in Belgium from 14-20 December 2025.

This research visit comes within the framework of the research project “Emancipatory Human Rights”, which is a collaborative research project between Muwatin Institute at Birzeit University and the Law and Development Research Group at Antwerp University in Belgium. The project explores ways to ensure that human rights are used solely for emancipatory purposes, examines the potential for safeguarding human rights from colonial exploitation, addresses aspects of education and learning within a colonial context, and investigates how to promote an emancipatory approach to understanding and applying international law.

This research visit aimed to strengthen and promote research cooperation between Muwatin Institute and the University of Antwerp, and to conduct meetings with researchers at Antwerp University, to discuss different perspectives on the application of human rights, and network with academics and researchers across various disciplines within the university. The visit included a meeting with a group of academics, and researchers at the University of Antwerp to review their area of study, research projects, and mutual research work.

Moreover, Sabah presented a policy paper on the Gaza Strip and international law, which addressed international efforts to halt genocide. Furthermore, the policy brief reviewed necessary measures to activate international law and the human rights system to achieve actual peace, and emphasized the role of initiatives in promoting the emancipatory use of international law instruments.

In addition, a group of academics, and PHD students from the University of Antwerp attended the presentation. Participants discussed the role of international law in addressing international conflicts and the effectiveness of available instruments within the current framework of international law, and the current challenges that the current Human Rights framework face.