University of Iowa News Release

Sept. 18, 2006

Weston To Advise IKEA On Human Rights

Burns H. Weston, Bessie Dutton Murray Distinguished Professor of Law Emeritus in the University of Iowa College of Law and founder and Senior Scholar of the University of Iowa Center for Human Rights, has been named a human rights advisor to the philanthropic arm of Swedish manufacturer IKEA, headquartered in The Netherlands.

The IKEA Social Initiative focuses its contributions on a select number of global projects that support children and their opportunities for learning and developing. The Social Initiative is funded by donations from IKEA's three business organizations; the IKEA Group, the Inter IKEA Group and the IKANO Group.  It is, according to Weston, "a model of good corporate global citizenship, with increasingly extensive reach."

Weston has served as a human rights advocate in a number of capacities for many organizations, including as senior human rights adviser to UNICEF's Innocenti Research Centre in Florence, Italy, and for the International Human Rights Law Group, now known as Global Rights-Partners for Justice. He is also a founding member of the Midwest Coalition for Human Rights.

Weston's teaching and research interests have centered on international jurisprudence, international human rights law, the laws of war and the law of state responsibility, particularly as it relates to developing countries. Weston founded the UICHR in 1999 and served as its director until his retirement in 2004. He currently serves as interim director.

UICHR is part of UI International Programs, which enables University of Iowa students, faculty, staff and the public to learn from and about the world. Its offices, degree programs and events provide life-changing opportunities on campus and abroad, heighten intellectual and cultural diversity, and give all University constituents access to vital international knowledge. For
more information, visit http://intl-programs.uiowa.edu/ or call 319-353-2700. International Programs is part of the Office of the Provost.

STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Service, 300 Plaza Centre One, Suite 371, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500.

MEDIA CONTACT: Tom Snee, 319-384-0010, tom-snee@uiowa.edu.