The International Human Rights Committee of the New York City Bar, The Human Rights Institute of Columbia Law School, & The Hispanic National Bar Association present a panel discussion WHEN: Tuesday, April 29, 2008 at 6:00 P.M. WHERE: Association of the Bar of the City of New York, 42 West 44th Street, NYC R.S.V.P. Required to DReich@spearsimes.com  PANELISTS: • Cristoìbal Joshua Alex, Campaign Coordinator, National Campaign to Restore Civil Rights • Caroline Bettinger-Loìpez, Lecturer-in-Law and Fellow, Human Rights Institute, Columbia Law School • Jamil Dakwar, Director, ACLU Human Rights Program • Cynthia Soohoo, Domestic Legal Director, Center for Reproductive Rights Background: In February 2008, over 120 U.S. lawyers and activists traveled to Geneva to participate in the U.N.'s review of U.S. compliance with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD). On March 7, 2008, the CERD Committee issued its Concluding Observations and Recommendations on U.S. compliance with the treaty. The CERD Committee expressed deep concern over the U.S.’ record on racial discrimination and urged sweeping reforms to policies affecting racial and ethnic minorities, women, and immigrants. Many activists assert that international human rights standards provide broader protections against racial discrimination than current U.S. law and impose affirmative obligations on the government to respect and ensure equal access to economic and social rights. Panelists will discuss U.S. obligations under CERD and examine how international human rights standards are changing domestic advocacy for civil, political, economic, and social rights.