Coronavirus

A watch tower is seen in the currently closed Camp X-Ray at the U.S. Naval Station on June 27, 2013 in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Barbed wire can be seen in both the background and foreground of the photo.

Guantanamo’s COVID-19 Precautions Must Safeguard Detainees’ Rights

Even if the virus does not reach the detainees, some of the precautions that Guantanamo is taking could at once undermine detainees’ rights, including access to counsel, and…

Mar. 31, 2020 Scott Roehm

A Palestinian worker gets his temperature checked as he returns home via the Mitar checkpoint in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron, along with fellow workers, on March 25, 2020. The person checking his temperature uses a no-contact thermometer and wears gloves and a full body jumpsuit with hood.

Intelligence, Surveillance, and Ethics in a Pandemic

It is imperative that States and their citizens question how much freedom and privacy should be sacrificed to limit the impact of this pandemic.

Mar. 31, 2020 Jessica Davis

A nearly empty Times Square is seen on March 23, 2020 in New York City. It is raining and the streets are wet. An electronic billboard reads, “Thank You #HealthCare Workers!” Other electronic billboards show ads for various products. The lights from the billboards can be seen reflected in the water on the street.

China’s Responsibility for the Global Pandemic

The world is now grappling with an unprecedented case of transboundary harm that originated in China: the still-growing global COVID-19 pandemic. This essay considers how the international…

Mar. 31, 2020 Russell Miller and William Starshak

A man gets his temperature checked outside a barricade where community members control who comes in and out of a residential street on February 24, 2020 in Beijing, China. The police officer checking his temperature wears PPE over his shirt, a face shield, and a face mask. The thermometer he uses measures his wrist.

Beware of Political Manipulation in Assessing Success Against the Coronavirus

Now, at a moment when we need a coordinated and transparent global response, the full scale and scope of the global democratic erosion comes into view.

Mar. 31, 2020 Sarah Margon

General Assembly Seventy-second session, 101st plenary meeting

Negotiating a Global Counter-Terrorism Strategy in a Time of COVID-19

Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, and the resulting retreat from public meetings, large gatherings, and office work, States are currently engaged in the 7th biannual review…

Mar. 30, 2020 Fionnuala Ní Aoláin KC (Hons)

Coronavirus crisis volunteer Rhiannon Navin in front of the US flag.

Human Rights Guidelines for the Fight Against COVID-19

President Donald Trump is already talking about a “war” against COVID-19, and with all wars come serious human rights risks. If the pandemic poses a national security threat,…

Mar. 27, 2020 Daphne Eviatar

Medical staff wearing full body jumpsuits with hoods, face masks, goggle, gloves, and shoe coverings to protect against a previously unknown coronavirus arrive with a patient on a rolling gurney at the Wuhan Red Cross Hospital in Wuhan on January 25, 2020. The hospital appears crowded from the photo.

COVID-19 and International Law: Must China Compensate Countries for the Damage?

Top international health law expert discusses: Did China violate its legal obligations under the International Health Regulations? Would Beijing have to financially compensate…

Mar. 27, 2020 David Fidler

A nurse checks a computer screen during a COVID-19 novel coronavirus test at a testing booth outside Yangji hospital in Seoul on March 17, 2020. The booth is set up with plastic between the nurse and the patient with glove hand portals similar to intensive care units for babies or those with cancer. The nurse is in a full body jumpsuit, wears a mask, a face shield, and gloves.

Cyber Attacks against Hospitals and the COVID-19 Pandemic: How Strong are International Law Protections?

Experts have already warned of indications that some “coronavirus-themed cyberattack campaigns” may have been carried out by States. At this stage, however, no such allegation…

Mar. 27, 2020 Kubo Mačák, Laurent Gisel and 1 more

Trump speaks during a briefing on the coronavirus pandemic, in the press briefing room of the White House on March 24, 2020 in Washington, DC. Pence stands behind him. Neither wear face masks.

Keeping an Eye on the Civil Liberties Impact of Trump’s Coronavirus Response

Now is the time to be vigilant for attempts to leverage the crisis to obtain or retain powers that unnecessarily infringe on rights and liberties.

Mar. 26, 2020 Andrew Boyle

Oregon Army National Guard Soldiers assist the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) in setting up the Oregon Medical Station (OMS) at the Oregon State Fairgrounds, March 19, 2020. The soldiers do not wear face masks and set up cots in a large room.

Military’s Response to the Coronavirus Crisis: Top 10 Principles

Ten key principles to follow as policymakers seek to utilize the military in a manner that is innovative, responsive to the crisis, and consistent with the rule of law.

Mar. 25, 2020 Mark Nevitt

Pence holds up a CDC advisory while flanked by Trump and Barr at the daily coronavirus briefing at the White House on March 23, 2020 in Washington, DC. None of them wear face masks.

Coronavirus, Public Perceptions and the Dangers of “News Deserts”

For many reasons, areas of the U.S. or segments of the populace don’t have – or don’t seek – access to fact-based, even existentially vital information.

Mar. 25, 2020 Viola Gienger

An Afghan policeman with a large gun and without a face mask gestures as volunteers wearing hazmat suits and facemasks gather outdoors before the start of a preventive campaign against the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, in Kabul on March 18, 2020.

COVID-19 and Violent Conflict: Responding to Predictable Unpredictability

Eleven baseline understandings are likely to be key in designing the most effective responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in impoverished, conflict-affected regions.

Mar. 24, 2020 Christine Bell