Mona Ali Khalil

Mona Ali Khalil is an internationally recognized public international lawyer with 25 years of UN and other global experience in peacekeeping, sanctions, disarmament and counterterrorism. She holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Harvard University and a master's degree in foreign service and a juris doctorate from Georgetown University. She is an affiliate of the Harvard Law School Program on International Law and Armed Conflict and is a former senior legal officer in the UN Office of the Legal Counsel. In January 2018, Khalil founded MAKLAW.ORG, an international legal advisory and consulting service, assisting governments and intergovernmental organizations on securing their rights and fulfilling their legal obligations.

COVID-19

The UN Must March for Justice and Racial Equality

June 9, 2020

by Mona Ali Khalil

As the world knows, George Floyd, a black man suspected of passing a counterfeit $20 bill at a store in Minneapolis, Minn., was killed on May 25 by Derek Chauvin, a white police officer. Chauvin had pressed his knee into Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, despite Floyd being handcuffed and on …

Covid-19, Human Rights, Secretary-General

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COVID-19

Living Through the Pandemic in the World’s Most Livable City

April 9, 2020

by Mona Ali Khalil

VIENNA — Since moving to Austria in 2018, I have enjoyed the comparably high standard of living and relatively low cost of living that the city offers. As a foreigner, I feel at home in this beautiful city, which is also home to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, the International Atomic …

Covid-19, General Assembly, Health and Population, Security Council

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COVID-19

The UN Security Council Is MIA as the Coronavirus Ravages the World

March 24, 2020

by Mona Ali Khalil

Although much of the world is closing temporarily due to the rapid spread of Covid-19, the United Nations Security Council must stay open — meeting physically if possible and virtually if not — in order to fulfill its Charter responsibilities not only to address the threats posed by the pandemic but also to respond …

Covid-19, Health and Population, Security Council

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WORLDVIEWS

A Plan From Darfuri Women to Make Sudan’s New Democracy Work

October 15, 2019

by Mona Ali Khalil

Niemat Ahmadi, the founder and director of the Darfur Women Action Group, has a plan for the new Sudan. The Strategic Framework for Sustainable Change was presented to the country’s prime minister, Abdalla Hamdok, during his participation in the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly in September — only three weeks after …

Africa, Peace and Security, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

Justice for Darfur Is Critical for a Peaceful Future in Sudan

June 9, 2019

by Mona Ali Khalil

The people of Sudan finally ousted President Omar al-Bashir from power, on April 11, 2019. The people of Sudan must now transfer al-Bashir to The Hague to stand trial in the International Criminal Court, which, more than 10 years ago, indicted him for genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur — including …

Africa, Gender-Based Violence, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

When Is an Attack on UN Peacekeepers a War Crime and When Is It Not?

November 30, 2018

by Mona Ali Khalil

The recent attack by a militia on the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in which seven peacekeepers were killed, highlighted a question that the Security Council has hesitated to confront for years. What are the consequences when UN peacekeeping missions become parties to the conflict? The Security Council responded to the latest attacks on Monusco, as …

Africa, UN Peacekeeping, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

The US vs. Unrwa: Who Really Loses?

September 6, 2018

by Mona Ali Khalil

It is entirely the United States’ prerogative to cut off its voluntary contributions to the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, or Unrwa. In her statements about why the Trump administration has decided to do so, however, Ambassador Nikki Haley misses the mark on who should be grateful …

Human Rights, Middle East, US Foreign Relations, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

The UN’s Cruz Report on Improving Peacekeepers’ Security Goes Too Far

May 20, 2018

by Mona Ali Khalil

Since 1999, the United Nations Security Council has consistently entrusted its peacekeeping operations with clear authority to use force beyond self-defense — primarily for the protection of civilians. To fulfill the mandate, the Council expects UN peacekeeping forces to take preventive as well as responsive actions; to proactively patrol the local communities; to project a …

Security Council, UN Peacekeeping, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

With UN Security Council Reform, Bigger Is Not Better

March 28, 2018

by Mona Ali Khalil

Much ado — during 25 years of fruitless negotiations — has been made about the need for the United Nations General Assembly to achieve more equitable geographical representation in the UN Security Council. Article 23(1) of the UN Charter, however, also requires the Assembly, in electing the nonpermanent members of the Council, to pay …

General Assembly, Peace and Security, Security Council, UN Peacekeeping, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

The UN’s Three Main Bodies Are Failing to Do Their Job

October 11, 2016

by Mona Ali Khalil

“Those who seek to bestow legitimacy must themselves embody it, and those who invoke international law must themselves submit to it.” So spoke United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the 59th session of the UN General Assembly on Sept. 22, 2004. Annan’s statement should be understood to apply to the principal organs of …

WORLDVIEWS

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Mona Ali Khalil

The UN Must March for Justice and Racial Equality

Living Through the Pandemic in the World’s Most Livable City

The UN Security Council Is MIA as the Coronavirus Ravages the World

A Plan From Darfuri Women to Make Sudan’s New Democracy Work

Justice for Darfur Is Critical for a Peaceful Future in Sudan

When Is an Attack on UN Peacekeepers a War Crime and When Is It Not?

The US vs. Unrwa: Who Really Loses?

The UN’s Cruz Report on Improving Peacekeepers’ Security Goes Too Far

With UN Security Council Reform, Bigger Is Not Better

The UN’s Three Main Bodies Are Failing to Do Their Job

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