International Court of Justice

Robbed of Their Island in the Indian Ocean, Chagossians Linger in a Pandemic-Shadowed Limbo

May 21, 2020

Exactly one year ago, the United Nations General Assembly passed a resolution calling on Britain to return the Chagos Archipelago, a cluster of islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean, to Mauritius, an island-nation off the southeast coast of Africa. The resolution endorsed an International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion that had been …

Africa, Covid-19, General Assembly, US Foreign Relations

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WORLDVIEWS

Myanmar’s Silence on Rape Against Rohingya Is Cruel and Dangerous

January 21, 2020

by Akila Radhakrishnan

Last month, the world was struck by an unusual image — that of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Aung San Suu Kyi — standing in court to defend and deny genocide. What was striking was not only what she and Myanmar’s legal team said but also what wasn’t said: the total failure of Myanmar …

Gender-Based Violence, International Justice, Myanmar, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

Rape Prosecution Must Drive the New Rohingya Genocide Court Case

November 25, 2019

by Susan Hutchinson

The recent case lodged by The Gambia with the International Court of Justice against Myanmar’s persecution of the Rohingya is the first time that rape will be prosecuted as genocide at the court, which is based in The Hague. The case has the potential to enhance feminist international law, while reinforcing the need to …

International Justice, Myanmar, Security Council, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

The Devastating Decline of Human-Rights Justice Across the World

August 20, 2018

by Bertrand Ramcharan

The soul of the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights is being destroyed with the disappearance of human-rights justice in the world. Everyone should be concerned if not frightened. The appointment of Michelle Bachelet of Chile as UN high commissioner for human rights, who has personally experienced injustice, offers hope that her voice will …

Human Rights, International Justice, WORLDVIEWS

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WORLDVIEWS

Leave the UN’s Human-Rights Treaty System Alone

January 7, 2018

by Bertrand Ramcharan

The United Nations Charter requires each and every member state to discharge its obligations by faithfully carrying out norms of legally binding international human-rights law. These may be norms of international customary law, those contained in treaties or those flowing from general principles of international law. The human-rights provisions in the Charter were amplified …

Human Rights, WORLDVIEWS

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TOPIC: WOMEN

Building a Case for Prosecuting the Genocide of Yazidi Women

August 1, 2017

by Barbara Crossette

As the Islamic State’s self-proclaimed caliphate in Iraq crumbles, assessments begin to emerge of the damage left in its wake by its cultural nihilism and harsh sectarian absolutism designed to remake an Arab society. The human costs have been high in Iraq — in deaths, maiming, displacement and the enslavement of girls and women. …

Gender-Based Violence, Middle East, Responsibility to Protect, Security Council, Terrorism, Women

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Western Sahara: A Chance for Change or to Stay Stuck in Time

April 10, 2013

by Dulcie Leimbach

The saga of Western Sahara, a disputed territory that has been stuck in limbo in North Africa for decades, will receive its annual nod this month by the United Nations Security Council, but this time actual changes may be afoot if the council acts more decisively, particularly on human-rights matters. Christopher Ross, the UN …

Africa, Human Rights, Peace and Security, Refugees, Security Council

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WORLDVIEWS

The Quest for Peace and Calm in the Pacific

January 17, 2013

by Jayantha Dhanapala

KANDY, Sri Lanka — As the focus of global political and economic power shifts to the Asia-Pacific region and the United States feels compelled to pivot its strategic forces from the Atlantic to the Pacific, the relationship among major East Asian countries acquires critical importance. Residual cold war disputes across the Atlantic are likely …

Asia, International Justice, Peace and Security, WORLDVIEWS

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GOINGS-ON

There’s Another Court in The Hague

November 20, 2011

by Barbara Crossette

Government suppression of revolts in several Arab nations and violence and rights abuses in some parts of Africa have drawn increased attention to the International Criminal Court, the first such permanent tribunal created to try individuals for war crimes, genocide and other gross violations. Less attention is paid to another permanent court in The …