Olivier De Schutter, a distinguished Belgian legal expert, emerged into the world on July 20, 1968, and has since established himself as a leading authority in the realm of economic and social rights.
Throughout his illustrious career, De Schutter has occupied a position of great importance, serving as the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right to food from 2008 to 2014, a tenure that spanned six remarkable years.
Professor De Schutter is a distinguished academic who devotes his time to educating students in various fields of law. He is affiliated with the University of Louvain (UCLouvain) in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, where he teaches international human rights law, European Union law, and legal theory.
In addition to his role at UCLouvain, Professor De Schutter also teaches at the College of Europe and Sciences Po in Paris. This demonstrates his commitment to sharing his expertise with students from diverse backgrounds and institutions.
Furthermore, Professor De Schutter has a strong connection with the academic community in the United States. He was a regular visiting professor at Columbia University from 2008 to 2012, during which time he likely shared his knowledge and insights with students and faculty members.
Moreover, Professor De Schutter has made significant contributions to the American University Washington College of Law's Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law. This highlights his dedication to advancing the understanding and protection of human rights and humanitarian law.
Overall, Professor De Schutter's academic career is marked by his commitment to teaching, research, and service, and he is widely recognized as an expert in his field.
Olivier De Schutter is the inaugural chair of the esteemed Belgian Advisory Council on Policy Coherence for Development, a prestigious organization dedicated to ensuring that development policies are aligned with the pursuit of sustainable development goals.
Professor Olivier De Schutter, a renowned expert in the fields of international human rights law and development economics, has held a distinguished position within the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights from 2015 to 2020.
During his tenure, he demonstrated a deep commitment to promoting and protecting the economic, social, and cultural rights of individuals and communities worldwide.
As a testament to his esteemed reputation and expertise, De Schutter was subsequently appointed the United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.
He took up his new responsibilities on May 1, 2020, bringing his extensive knowledge and experience to bear in his efforts to address the pressing issue of extreme poverty and its impact on human rights.
In this capacity, De Schutter is working tirelessly to shed light on the plight of the world's poorest and most vulnerable populations, and to identify and promote effective solutions to eradicate extreme poverty and protect the human rights of those affected.
Born to a diplomatic family, De Schutter's early years were marked by a unique blend of international exposure and education, as he spent his formative years in the culturally rich cities of Bombay, India, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Kigali, Rwanda, where he received his primary and high school education.
This diverse upbringing laid the foundation for his academic pursuits, which would take him to some of the world's most prestigious institutions. De Schutter went on to study law at the University of Louvain, a renowned institution in Belgium, where he honed his skills and laid the groundwork for his future career.
He further expanded his academic horizons by attending Panthéon-Assas University in France, and later, Harvard University in the United States, where he had the opportunity to engage with some of the world's top legal minds and thinkers.
Ultimately, De Schutter's academic journey culminated in the attainment of a Ph.D. from the University of Louvain, a testament to his hard work, dedication, and passion for the law.
Princeton University professor Philippe De Schutter's doctoral dissertation, a comprehensive and comparative analysis of the pivotal role that courts play in the adjudication of fundamental rights, was initially published in French and has since been succeeded by a plethora of scholarly publications on the subjects of governance and human rights, with a specific emphasis on the far-reaching implications of globalization on human rights, as well as a broader examination of economic and social rights in all their complexity.
Noted author and human rights expert has penned numerous influential publications on the subject, including the esteemed "International Human Rights Law: Cases, Materials, Commentary" and the thought-provoking "Trade in the Service of Sustainable Development". In addition to these notable works, he has also written extensively on the complex interplay between economic globalization and human rights. Through his writings, he has passionately advocated for strengthening the connection between trade policies and labour rights, as well as environmental standards. Furthermore, he has proposed innovative solutions for establishing a more sustainable and democratic governance framework for natural resources, thereby promoting a more equitable and environmentally conscious approach to global economic development.
