Thursday, December 31, 2015
Live from "L"
"L" is the nickname for the Legal Adviser for the U.S. Department of State. Several years ago, the American Bar Association Section of International Law started a program called "Live from L" in which the Legal Adviser would discuss current international law issues. The program will next be held on Thursday, February 18, 2016, at the George Washington University School of Law. It will be co-sponsored by the American Society of International Law. You can attend the program in person or listen in online. The focus will be on the Iran Nuclear Deal, but of course events in February may bring additional topics for discussion or to be raised in the question and answer segment. The program will also be webcast, making it widely available to all of you.
(mew)
December 31, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wednesday, December 30, 2015
International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda To Close Its Doors December 31, 2015
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), created in the wake of the genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994, has rendered its last judgment and will officially close its doors on New Year's Eve 2015.
On December 14, the ICTR delivered its final judgment on appeal in the case against former Minister of Family and Women’s Development Pauline Nyiramasuhuko and five co-accused. Nyiramasuhuko was the first woman convicted of genocide by an international court. The court found her guilty of rape and other crimes. The Appeals Chamber upheld the convictions for most of the charges, but lowered the prison sentences for all six defendants.
In another significant development in December, Congolese officials arrested Ladislas Ntaganzwa, the former mayor of Nyakizu, Rwanda, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The ICTR had indicted Ntaganzwa for genocide, incitement to commit genocide, and crimes against humanity, and transferred his case to Rwanda in 2012 for trial. He is currently detained in the Congolese capital, Kinshasa.
The United Nations Security Council established the ICTR in 1994 to prosecute persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda or by Rwandan citizens in neighboring countries between January 1, 1994 and December 31, 1994. It was expected to try mostly high-level suspects and those who played a leading role in the genocide.
Among the ICTR's successes are the trial and conviction of several prominent figures, including former Prime Minister Jean Kambanda; the former army chief of staff, General Augustin Bizimungu; and the former Defense Ministry chief of staff, Colonel Théoneste Bagosora. During its 20 years in existence, the ICTR indicted 93 people, sentenced 61, and acquitted 14, helping to establish the truth relating to the Rwandan genocide and providing justice to victims. The ICTR also established important precedents in international criminal law and served as a model for the creation of the International Criminal Court under the 1998 Rome Statute.
Despite these successes, the ICTR has also been criticized for the lack of reparations for victims, its location outside Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania, its handling of a relatively small number of cases, its high operating costs, and its lengthy trials. It also has been criticized for its unwillingness to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in 1994 by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), the rebel group that ended the genocide and has been Rwanda’s ruling party ever since.
Prosecutions of perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Rwanda will continue through the Rwandan justice system and in the domestic courts of several other countries, including Belgium, Switzerland, Germany, Canada, Finland, Norway, Sweden, the Netherlands, and France. The ICTR also is handing over three other cases to the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals.
A top priority continues to be the arrest, transfer, and prosecution of eight remaining fugitives, five of whom are to be tried by Rwanda and three by the Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals: former Defense Minister Augustin Bizimana, the former commander of the Presidential Guard Protais Mpiranya, and Félicien Kabuga, a businessman. The execution of international arrest warrants has posed a major problem in international criminal law. Neither the ICTR nor the residual mechanism have their own police to carry out arrests and depend entirely on the cooperation of states where suspects are living. Rwanda's Minister of Justice has called upon the international community to assist in bringing those suspects to justice to finish the work carried out by the ICTR.
(cgb)
December 30, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Sunday, December 27, 2015
Congratulations to David Gerber, New President of the American Society of Comparative Law
Professor David Gerber of the Chicago-Kent College of Law has been elected President of the American Society of Comparative Law. Founded in 1851, the American Society of Comparative Law promotes the comparative study of law. As its new President, Professor Gerber plans to focus outreach activities in Latin America and Asia.
Professor Gerber writes and teaches primarily in the areas of antitrust/competition law, comparative law, international economic law and globalization studies. He received his B.A. from Trinity College (Conn.), his M.A. from Yale, and his J.D. from the University of Chicago. In 2013 he was awarded the degree of Honorary Doctor of Laws by the University of Zurich, Switzerland.
He has been a visiting professor at the law schools of the University of Pennsylvania, Northwestern University, and Washington University in the United States as well as on the law faculties of the University of Munich and Freiburg in Germany, Stockholm and Uppsala in Sweden, and the Global Law Faculty of Catolica University in Portugal. He has been a distinguished visitor at numerous universities, including the University of Rome (Sapienza), the University of Paris II, the University of Zurich, the University of Aix-en-Provence, and Meiji University (Japan). He has also been a visiting fellow at the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and the Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods in Bonn, Germany. Before beginning his teaching career, Professor Gerber practiced law in New York and in Europe.
(mew)
December 27, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Saturday, December 26, 2015
A Beginner's Guide to Treaty Research
Have to do some treaty research? Here's some helpful tips from our good friends at the Law Library of Congress, the largest law library in the world. Click here for their helpful advice on treaty research. And even if you're already a treaty research expert, you'll love the story about how President Washington brought a treaty to the Senate for its advice and consent but was surprised when they didn't want to debate it in front of him. Have a look!
(mew)
December 26, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Registration is now open for the ABILA International Law Weekend-West
- David Moore, Brigham Young University Law School
- David P. Stewart, Georgetown University Law Center; President, International Law Association - American Branch
- Maxine Burkett, University of Hawaii School of Law (via video conference)
- Cinnamon Carlarne, Ohio State University Law School
- Hari Osofsky, University of Minnesota Law School
- Karen Bradshaw Shulz, Arizona State University College of Law
- Lisa Grow Sun, Brigham Young University Law School
- Frederick Axelgard, Brigham Young University Wheatley Institution
- Sahar F. Aziz, Texas A&M University School of Law (invited)
- Christopher Jenks, Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
- Rachel VanLandingham, Southwestern Law School
- Stirling Adams, Novell
- Curtis Anderson, Brigham Young University Law School
- Jacob Briem, LANDESK Software
- Loren Hulse, Stoel Rives
- Gayla Sorenson, Brigham Young University Law School
- Lew Cramer, Coldwell Banker Commercial Associates
- Richard Hartvigsen, NuSkin Enterprises
- Kirk Jowers, dōTERRA
- Derek Miller, World Trade Center Utah
- Craig Parry, Parr Brown Gee & Loveless
- David Rudd, Ballard Spahr
- Nikki Eberhardt, Progress Through Business, Inc.
- Janet Eberle, U.S. Air Force, Judge Advocate General Corps
- Trent Pedersen, Federal Bureau of Investigation
- David Stewart, Georgetown University Law Center
- Charles Jalloh, Florida International University College of Law
- Leila Sadat, Washington University, St. Louis School of Law
- Miriam Baer, Brooklyn Law School
- Tom Lee, Fordham University School of Law
- Philip Nichols, The Wharton School
- Andy Spalding, University of Richmond School of Law
- Carolina Núñez, Brigham Young University Law School
- Moria Paz, Stanford Law School
- Charles "Chip" Brower, Wayne State University Law School
- Victoria Sahani, Washington & Lee University School of Law
- Eric Jensen, Brigham Young University Law School
- John McClurg, Dell
- Chantal Thomas, Cornell Law School
(mew)
December 23, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Monday, December 21, 2015
Live From "L"
"L" is the nickname for the Legal Adviser for the U.S. Department of State. Several years ago, the American Bar Association Section of International Law started a program called "Live from L" in which the Legal Adviser would discuss current international law issues. The program will next be held on Thursday, February 18, 2016, at the George Washington University School of Law. It will be co-sponsored by the American Society of International Law. You can attend the program in person or listen in online. The focus will be on the Iran Nuclear Deal, but of course events in February may bring additional topics for discussion or to be raised in the question and answer segment. The program will also be webcast, making it widely available to all of you.
(mew)
December 21, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Save the Dates! Upcoming AALS Annual Meetings in New York, San Francisco, San Diego, and New Orleans
The Association of American Law Schools holds its well-attended annual meeting each January. Here's the schedule of upcoming meetings for the next few years:
- January 6-10, 2016: New York
- January 4-7, 2017: San Francisco
- January 3-6, 2018: San Diego
- January 2-6, 2019: New Orleans
The Association of American Law Schools is a nonprofit association of 180 law schools. Its law school members enroll most of the law students in the United States. The AALS describes its mission as "to uphold and advance excellence in legal education." The AALS promotes the core values of excellence in teaching and scholarship, academic freedom, and diversity, including diversity of backgrounds and viewpoints, while seeking to improve the legal profession, to foster justice, and to serve local, national, and international communities.
Visit the AALS website for more information about the Association and its upcoming meetings and other activities. The AALS has a large number of Sections focused on various topics, including international law. At the 2016 Annual Meeting, the AALS Section of International Law has organized a field trip to the United Nations.
(mew)
December 21, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Saturday, December 19, 2015
Reminder of AALS Day at the United Nations
The Association of American Law Schools Section on International Law has organized an impressive lineup of presenters for its one-day field trip to the United Nations on Thursday, January 7, 2016. The event is part of the AALS Annual Meeting and is open to all law professors attending the AALS Annual Meeting. You need not be a member of the AALS Section on International Law (although if you're a U.S. law professor reading this blog, why wouldn't you be a member of that section?).
The day-long program includes a briefing, a luncheon, a tour of the United Nations, and time to visit the U.N. bookstore and gift shop. Tickets are still available, and participants can also purchase extra tickets for interested family members.
The speakers for the program are an impressive lineup organized by Dean Claudio Grossman of the Washington College of Law at American University. The speakers are:
- His Excellency Cristian Barros, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations, speaking on challenges facing the U.N. Security Council.
- Andrew Gilmour (to be confirmed), Director of the Political, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian, and Human Rights Unit of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG). Topic: “Peace, Security, and the Secretary General’s Human Rights Up Front Initiative to Prevent and Respond to Serious Human Rights Violations.”
- Claudio Grossman (confirmed), Chair, United Nations Committee Against Torture and Dean of the American University Washington College of Law. Topic: “The Human Rights Treaty Bodies of the United Nations – Challenges for the Future”
- Katarina Mansson (confirmed), Human Rights Treaties Division, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Topic: “Partnering for Peace and Rights: The Evolving Relationship Between the United Nations and Regional Organizations.”
- Craig Mokhiber (confirmed), Research and Right to Development Division, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Topic: “Development and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.”
- Salil Shetty (to be confirmed), Secretary-General, Amnesty International. Topic: “Amnesty International’s Efforts”
- Moderator: Prof. Mark E. Wojcik (The John Marshall Law School--Chicago)
When you register for the AALS annual meeting, you can select the field trip as a separate option. The cost for the day-long event is $90.00, which includes the luncheon and tour. If you have already registered for the meeting, you can still add a ticket to this event to your registration.
(mew)
December 19, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Wednesday, December 16, 2015
WTO Dispute Settlement News
2015 marks the 20th anniversary of the World Trade Organization (WTO), which reached another milestone this year - the receipt of its 500th trade dispute for settlement. Developed and developing countries have initiated disputes in almost equal numbers. The United States has been the most frequent complainant and respondent, with the European Communities a close second. Most of the disputes have focused on anti-dumping and subsidy issues.
On December 8, the United States filed yet another trade dispute with the WTO Dispute Settlement Body. This complaint alleges that China has violated WTO rules with respect tax advantages provided in the sale of domestically produced aircraft. For more information, see WT/DS501/1.
(cgb)
December 16, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Tuesday, December 15, 2015
Kidnappings for Ransom Are On the Rise in the Democratic Republic of Congo
At least 175 people have been kidnapped for ransom during 2015 in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Human Rights Watch said today. Former and current members of armed groups appear responsible for many of the kidnappings.
The vast majority of the cases documented by Human Rights Watch were in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu province, in the eastern part of the country. At least three hostages were killed while another was fatally shot in a kidnapping attempt. One remains missing. Nearly all hostages were released after relatives or employers paid ransom. Twenty of the victims were Congolese and international aid workers.
“The alarming increase in kidnappings is a grave threat to the people of eastern Congo,” said Ida Sawyer, senior Africa researcher at Human Rights Watch. “Congolese authorities should urgently establish a special police unit to help rescue hostages and investigate and prosecute those responsible.”
Human Rights Watch interviewed 45 former hostages and witnesses in North Kivu between May and December. They said that the kidnappers typically operate in groups of up to a dozen or more people, and are often heavily armed with Kalashnikovs and other military assault weapons. Many wear military clothes and appear to belong, or to have belonged, to one of the many armed groups active in eastern Congo.
The kidnappers often followed a similar procedure, beating, whipping, or threatening their hostages with death, demanding that they call their relatives or employers to press them to pay for the person’s release. The kidnappers often used the victims’ cell phones or their own to negotiate the ransom payments. Sometimes the kidnappers abducted a single hostage, in other cases, a group.
In one example, on September 2, armed men kidnapped a 27-year-old student near the general hospital in Goma and took her to a remote forest location, where she was held with other hostages. The kidnappers beat and abused the hostages, including burning them with bayonets heated in a fire. “When we asked for food, they chose a man among us and cut his throat, killing him,” she told Human Rights Watch. “‘If you want to eat, here’s the meat,’ they told us.” She was held for nine days, and released after her family paid a ransom.
In the cases Human Rights Watch documented, kidnappers demanded between US$200 and US$30,000 per hostage, though the amounts paid were often much lower than the amount sought, according to relatives and former hostages.
The ransom payments often caused severe financial hardship for families. One man had to sell his farmland to pay off the money his family had borrowed to pay for his release, leaving his family with no source of income.
Kidnappers also targeted national and international aid workers, contract staff working for the United Nations, and drivers for a major transportation company. In all cases they were later released. No information was made public on whether ransoms were paid.
In most of the cases Human Rights Watch documented, relatives of the hostages did not inform police or other authorities about the kidnapping, either because they believed they would get no assistance or because they feared that it might make matters worse and that they would face further extortion from the authorities for any assistance provided. One former hostage said that when her mother told a judicial official in Goma that her daughter had been kidnapped, his only response was that the mother should “go pay.”
At least 14 people were kidnapped close to areas where Congolese soldiers were based, leading some of the victims and their families to speculate that the soldiers may have been complicit. Human Rights Watch found no credible evidence indicating that Congolese soldiers participated in the kidnappings, though some of those involved appear to be members or former members of armed groups that Congolese army officers had armed or supported in the past.
One of the implicated groups is the Force for the Defense of the Interests of Congolese People (FDIPC), which collaborated with the Congolese army during military operations against the M23 rebel group in 2012 and 2013, according to Human Rights Watch and UN research. Former hostages and local authorities told Human Rights Watch that FDIPC fighters and former fighters were responsible for some of the kidnappings.
On April 14, 2015, Congolese authorities arrested FDIPC’s military commander, Jean Emmanuel Biriko (known as Manoti), his wife, and a dozen of his fighters and charged them with kidnapping, among other crimes. Their trial began a day later in a military court in the town of Rutshuru. On May 18, following deeply flawed proceedings in which the rights of the accused were violated, the court convicted Manoti and 10 of his co-accused and sentenced them to death for belonging to a criminal gang. Although the death penalty is still permitted in Congo, there has been a moratorium on executions since 2003. Human Rights Watch opposes the death penalty in all circumstances as an inhumane and irrevocable punishment.
During the trial, Manoti alleged that he collaborated with several Congolese army officers, including one he said was involved in the kidnapping incidents. Human Rights Watch has not been able to identify any judicial investigations into the alleged role played by these or other army officers, although government and military officials know of these allegations. A high-ranking army intelligence officer acknowledged to Human Rights Watch that Manoti “might have worked with some of the military” during the kidnapping incidents.
The arrest of Manoti and his men did not end the kidnappings. The majority of cases Human Rights Watch documented in 2015 occurred after their arrest. While Congolese authorities say they have arrested other alleged kidnappers, none have been brought to trial.
Citing the “immeasurable scale” of kidnappings in eastern Congo, the National Assembly’s Defense and Security Commission held a hearing on December 3 with the Vice Prime Minister and Interior Minister Evariste Boshab about the government’s response. Boshab replied that the situation is “extremely worrying” and “among the biggest security challenges confronting the government today.”
Three commission members said it was agreed that a parliamentary commission of inquiry would be established to investigate the kidnappings and possible complicity by government and security officials, and to assess what has already been done and make recommendations.
Human Rights Watch urged the commission to endorse the creation of a special police unit to document and respond to kidnapping cases; identify and arrest alleged kidnappers; report alleged complicity between kidnappers and officials; and work with judicial officers to bring those found responsible to justice in fair and credible trials.
“Putting an end to the kidnapping threat should be a top priority for the Congolese government,” Sawyer said. “The authorities not only need to bring those responsible to justice in fair trials, but also to uncover and act against any officials involved.”
Press Release from Human Rights Watch.
December 15, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
U.S. Has 15 Months to Implement WTO Ruling on Antidumping Dispute With Viet Nam on Frozen Warmwater Shrimp
An arbitrator for the World Trade Organization has issued his award regarding the “reasonable period of time” to implement the recommendations and rulings of the Dispute Settlement Body (DSB) in the dispute “United States – Anti-Dumping Measures on Certain Shrimp from Viet Nam” (WT/DS429/12). The arbitrator determined that the “reasonable period of time” for the United States to implement the DSB’s recommendations and rulings in this dispute is 15 months from the adoption of the panel and Appellate Body reports. The case first arose in 2012 when Viet Nam requested consultations with the United States concerning a number of anti-dumping measures on certain frozen warmwater shrimp from Viet Nam
Click here for the arbitrator's decision and for more information and background about the dispute.
(mew)
December 15, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
ICC Prosecutor Calls on Security Coucil to Help Bring High-Profile Indictees to Justice for Darfur War Crimes
The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) today chided the United Nations Security Council for its “empty promises” to bring Sudanese President Omar Al-Bashir to trial for atrocities in Darfur, even as his victims cry out for justice amid indiscriminate killings and mass rape.
“Despite my repeated requests for the Council to take action with respect to Sudan’s blatant disregard of its obligations, and in violation of [it’s] resolutions, my appeals continue to be unheeded,” Fatou Bensouda told the 15-member body, noting that it was the Council itself which had referred the case of Sudan to the ICC more than 10 years ago.
“I observe with great regret that the adoption of each resolution has, in practical terms, amounted to no more than an empty promise,” she added, stressing that Mr. Al-Bashir is not only a fugitive from justice who continues to travel across international borders, but he also harbours other fugitives and refuses to facilitate their surrender to the ICC.
In 2005, the Council asked the Hague-based Court to investigate war crimes in Darfur. ICC judges issued arrest warrants in 2009 for Mr. Al-Bashir and other top officials for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in the western Darfur region, where up to 300,000 people may have died and over 2 million been displaced since civil war erupted in 2003 between the Government and rebels.
“If I may be so bold, this Council must do more to demonstrate its commitment to Darfur,” Ms. Bensouda stressed. “It must confidently play its part in facilitating the arrest of suspects against whom the Court has issued warrants of arrest. It must act concretely on the Court's non-compliance communications.”
Ms. Bensouda, who has pleaded for Council action in her presentations before it over the past three years, noted that year after year, the victims’ hopes for justice and a durable peace have been dashed.
“Instead, the people of Darfur have continued to endure desolation, alleged gross violations of human rights, indiscriminate killings, mass rape and sexual abuse, while the individuals against whom ICC arrest warrants have been issued, and who may be implicated in these crimes, continue to evade justice,” she declared.
“Countless victims have been demoralized. After all, who can blame them when attaining justice appears so remote; not the least because of the absence of adequate follow-up and support from the Council. Their frustration and resignation in the face of inaction must weigh heavily on our collective conscience,” she said, urging the Council to take appropriate measures.
“Terrible crimes allegedly continue to be perpetrated in Darfur,” she concluded. “Only strong and committed action by the Council and States will stop the commission of grave crimes in Darfur and ensure that the perpetrators of past crimes are held accountable.”
(UN Press Release)
December 15, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Arrests of Human Rights Defenders in Cuba
The top United Nations human rights official expressed concern today over the extremely high number of arbitrary arrests and short-term detentions of individuals, including human rights defenders and dissidents, in Cuba in recent weeks.
“There have been many hundreds of arbitrary arrests and short-term detentions – which in my view amount to harassment – in the past six weeks alone, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein said today.
These often take place without a warrant and ahead of specific meetings or demonstrations, and seem to be aimed at preventing people from exercising their right to freedom of expression and to peaceful assembly, he continued.
Mr. Zeid was particularly shocked that a number of people, including members of the Ladies in White non-governmental organization, were arrested on 10 December, Human Rights Day.
“This shows an extraordinary disdain for the importance of human rights on the part of the Cuban authorities,” he said.
The High Commissioner urged the authorities to respect everyone’s right to freedom of expression, and to peaceful assembly and association, and to stop arbitrarily arresting people, in particular before, during or after peaceful demonstrations.
“I call for the release of all those arbitrarily arrested who may still be in detention as a consequence of the legitimate exercise of their rights,” Mr. Zeid concluded.
(UN Press Release)
December 15, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
President of the University of Iowa Apologizes for Suggesting that Unprepared Professors Should Be Shot
Several news sources are reporting today that the President of the University of Iowa, J. Bruce Harreld, has apologized for suggesting that professors who are unprepared to teach should be shot.
(mew)
December 15, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
UN Rights Officials Denounce Incitement Against Muslims
Expressing “grave concern” at the outpouring of intolerance and hate speech in public discourse and in the media in recent weeks, which focused particularly on Muslims, senior United Nations human rights officials have urgently called on those in positions of authority and political leadership to act responsibly and with respect for both international and national laws.
“We are sickened by blatant manifestations of hatred and intolerance, including by public figures in response to terrorist attacks by violent extremists, particularly the deliberate and dangerous spread of misinformation and the manipulation of people’s fears and concerns for political gain,” said the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Adama Dieng, and the Special Adviser on the Responsibility to Protect, Jennifer Welsh, in a joint statement.
The Special Advisers also “strongly and unreservedly” condemned all criminal attacks by violent extremists, wherever they may take place and underlined that the damaging effects of linking such attacks to a specific population, based on its identity has resulted in discrimination and targeting of Muslim populations.
Additionally, they recalled that any “advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence” is prohibited under international human rights law and by the national laws or constitutions of many countries.
The Special Advisers noted that in recent weeks, there have been numerous acts of intimidation and violence against Muslims and Muslim sites, including vandalism of mosques as well as discriminatory, xenophobic and racist statements.
Some of these statements, they said, have referred to all Muslims – and all refugees and asylum-seekers originating from Syria and Iraq – as “terrorists.”
The Special Advisers also referred to calls by politicians for Muslims to be prevented from entering the United States, to be registered in a national database, or to be forced to carry identification that would highlight their religion, and other calls for governments to refrain from accepting refugees from Syria and Iraq.
“This is unacceptable. Refugees from Syria and Iraq are fleeing precisely the kind of violence that we in the West also fear. To turn them away when they are seeking refuge is an affront to our common humanity,” said the statement.
“At this time when the world is facing complex challenges, including confronting extremist violent groups and individuals, Governments and other leading actors in society should publicly counter lies, prejudice and fear” the Special Advisers stated.
(UN Press Release)
December 15, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
UN Security Council Extends Security Force in Abyei
The United Nations Security Council today extended for another five months its interim peacekeeping force in Abyei, a resource-rich area contested by Sudan and South Sudan, calling on both sides to swiftly resume regular meetings to resolve the oil-rich territory’s final status.
“Continued cooperation between the Government of Sudan and Government of South Sudan is also critical for peace, security and stability and the future relations between them,” the 15-member body said in a resolution, authorizing until 15 may, 2016, the 4,500-strong UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA).
The force, set up by the Council in June 2011 after the outbreak of violence when Sudanese troops took control of the area shortly before South Sudan became independent, is entrusted with overseeing demilitarization and maintaining security, and the Council today called for a resumption of border demarcation discussions.
Noting that some 90,000 people still depend on humanitarian aid, it stressed the urgency of facilitating aid delivery to all affected populations, and demanded that all parties allow all humanitarian personnel full, safe and unhindered access to civilians.
It underscored that UNISFA’s protection of civilians mandate includes taking necessary actions to protect civilians under imminent threat of physical violence, irrespective of the source of such violence.
It condemned the intermittent presence of security forces from both sides in Abyei and reaffirmed that UNISFA may undertake weapons confiscation and destruction, voicing “grave concern at the threat to peace and security in Abyei arising from the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of small arms and light weapons.”
(UN Press Release)
Photo: UN peacekeepers on patrol in Abyei. UN Photo/Stuart Price
December 15, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
All U.N. Member States Will Have Input in Selecting the Next Secretary General
The 193 Member States of the United Nations will for the first time be included "totally" in the selection of the next UN Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly said today, pledging to make the process as transparent and inclusive as possible.
Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters in New York, General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft highlighted a joint letter with the President of the Security Council that was sent out to all UN Member States today and which, he said, officially "starts" the process of soliciting candidates leading to the selection and appointment of the next UN chief.
According to the UN Charter, the Secretary-General is appointed by the General Assembly following the recommendation of the Security Council.
The letter issued today acknowledges the importance of transparency and inclusivity in the process. It also encourages Member States “to consider presenting women, as well as men, as candidates for the position of Secretary-General.”
In a new development, the President of the General Assembly and the President of the Security Council “will offer candidates opportunities for informal dialogues or meetings with the members of their respective bodies…these can take place before the Council begins its selection by the end of July 2016 and may continue throughout the process of selection,” according to the letter.
“The process is started and the wish is that the membership, for the first time in UN history, is included totally in the discussion of the next Secretary-General," Mr. Lykketoft said, adding that he thinks “this is a watershed in the way that we are doing things.”
“Until [today], the selection process of the Secretary-General has been very secretive and involving mostly – or only – the permanent five members of the Security Council,” he said, referring to China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Of course, he continued, the permanent Council members “still have a very strong position in selecting proposals for the General Assembly, but I think if, out of this new process we are now embarking on, comes an imminent candidate supported by a majority of the membership, it will actually give the general membership an increased, de facto power in selecting the Secretary-General.”
Mr. Lykketoft went on to explain that the presentation of candidates would also give Member States the opportunity to ask questions about their position on UN priorities, such as the Sustainable Development Agenda, peace and security, and other issues.
“But I would also say it would give the opportunity of candidates to answer questions about how should the UN system…possibly be made better to deal with a more holistic view of the world challenges expressed in the Sustainable Development Goals,” he noted, expressing the hope that such consultations would illuminate prospective candidates’ political and organizational priorities.
To a question on the format of such consultations with prospective candidates, he said: “We are foreseeing open meetings with the membership of the United Nations, where you gentlemen and ladies of the press can follow the presentations and questions and answers [to and from] the candidates…that is my plan.”
The next Secretary-General will assume the role in January 2017 and will serve a five year term, which can be renewed by Member States for an additional five years.
(UN Press Release)
December 15, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Monday, December 14, 2015
AALS Day at the United Nations
The Association of American Law Schools Section on International Law has organized an impressive lineup of presenters for its one-day field trip to the United Nations on Thursday, January 7, 2016. The event is part of the AALS Annual Meeting and is open to all law professors attending the AALS Annual Meeting. You need not be a member of the AALS Section on International Law (although if you're a U.S. law professor reading this blog, why wouldn't you be a member of that section?).
The day-long program includes a briefing, a luncheon, a tour of the United Nations, and time to visit the U.N. bookstore and gift shop. Tickets are still available, and participants can also purchase extra tickets for interested family members.
The speakers for the program are an impressive lineup organized by Dean Claudio Grossman of the Washington College of Law at American University. The speakers are:
- His Excellency Cristian Barros, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Chile to the United Nations, speaking on challenges facing the U.N. Security Council.
- Andrew Gilmour (to be confirmed), Director of the Political, Peacekeeping, Humanitarian, and Human Rights Unit of the Executive Office of the Secretary-General (EOSG). Topic: “Peace, Security, and the Secretary General’s Human Rights Up Front Initiative to Prevent and Respond to Serious Human Rights Violations.”
- Claudio Grossman (confirmed), Chair, United Nations Committee Against Torture and Dean of the American University Washington College of Law. Topic: “The Human Rights Treaty Bodies of the United Nations – Challenges for the Future”
- Katarina Mansson (confirmed), Human Rights Treaties Division, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Topic: “Partnering for Peace and Rights: The Evolving Relationship Between the United Nations and Regional Organizations.”
- Craig Mokhiber (confirmed), Research and Right to Development Division, United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). Topic: “Development and the Post-2015 Development Agenda.”
- Salil Shetty (to be confirmed), Secretary-General, Amnesty International. Topic: “Amnesty International’s Efforts”
- Moderator: Prof. Mark E. Wojcik (The John Marshall Law School--Chicago)
When you register for the AALS annual meeting, you can select the field trip as a separate option. The cost for the day-long event is $90.00, which includes the luncheon and tour. If you have already registered for the meeting, you can still add a ticket to this event to your registration.
(mew)
December 14, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Saturday, December 12, 2015
Chicago Bar Association Immigration and Nationality Law Committee
The Chicago Bar Association Immigration and Nationality Law Committee will meet on Thursday, December 17th, 2015, from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 321 S. Plymouth Court, Chicago. The topic will be "Immigration for Entrepreneurs: I-526 Petition Preparation and Source of Funds" and the speaker will be Taiyyeba S. Skomra, Attorney at Law - Stone Grzegorek & Gonzalez LLP, Los Angeles, California.
(mew)
December 12, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
Thursday, December 10, 2015
Mongolia Ends Use of the Death Penalty
Hailing Mongolia’s recent abolition of the death penalty, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, commended the move as a “welcome step in the fight for the human rights of all.”
“This development is very encouraging and a clear example of positive progress in the fight for human rights for all – including people convicted of terrible crimes,” Mr. Zeid said in a statement, in which he added: “We must not allow even the most atrocious acts to strip us of our fundamental humanity.” According to the High Commissioner’s Office (OHCHR), Mongolia’s passage of the law to end the death penalty, which is the result of strong and sustained leadership on the issue, has reaffirmed this essential truth.
Last week, Mongolia became the 105th country to abolish the death penalty in law. Another 60 States have moratoria, or have not carried out executions in the last 10 years, says OHCHR.
(UN Press Release)
December 10, 2015 | Permalink | Comments (0)
