Human Rights
Just Security’s expert authors offer in-depth analysis on critical human rights challenges, including those related to armed conflict, emerging technologies, abuses by authoritarian governments, repression of human rights advocates and independent media, human rights litigation, racial justice, gender equality, and more.
3,055 Articles
Nestlé & Cargill v. Doe Series: In Oral Arguments, Justices Weigh Liability for Chocolate Companies
U.S. corporations, including Nestle and Cargill, may face massive liability under the Alien Tort Statute for aiding and abetting slavery abroad. But does the ATS support such liability?…
The Risks of Relying on Counterterrorism Laws to Reduce Wartime Sexual Violence
Proponents risk legitimizing abusive laws and procedures and undermining broader efforts to advance equality and human rights protection for women.
A Commander’s Duty to Punish War Crimes: Past U.S. Recognition
A comprehensive, sweeping analysis of "the United States’ own long-standing views that a commander’s failure to punish war crimes by his subordinates may itself amount to war…
National Security Last Week at the United Nations (Nov 27 – Dec 4)
U.N. Negotiates for Humanitarian Access in Ethiopia Crisis On Dec. 2, United Nations (U.N.) spokesperson Stephane Dujarric announced that the Ethiopian government had agreed to…
Nestlé & Cargill v. Doe Series: The Economic Folly of Human Trafficking for American Business
The threat of liability under the Alien Tort Statute (such as the Nestlé/Cargill suit) costs businesses money – that's just cold economic reality. Or is it? Amici in the case,…
Nestlé & Cargill v. Doe Series: A Canadian Perspective – Takeaways from Nevsun Resources Ltd. v. Araya.
As the U.S. Supreme Court wrestles with corporate immunity for human rights abuses abroad, they may find a parallel Canadian case – in which the Supreme Court of Canada opened…
Six Reasons Why a Terrorist Designation for Yemen’s Houthis is a Bad Idea
The litmus test for U.S. policy on Yemen is simple: does it help end the conflict, or keep alive the millions of suffering Yemenis? A terrorist designation of the Houthis fails…
Nestlé & Cargill v. Doe Series: Rethinking the Alien Tort Statute
Tuesday's Supreme Court argument tackled thorny questions of extraterritoriality, customary international law, and corporate liability. But were any of these questions necessary?…
COVID-19 and International Law Series: States’ Obligations to Refugees and Migrants in Detention
Whether informally quarantined in camps or formally confined in overcrowded detention centers, refugees and migrants in detention are extraordinarily vulnerable in a pandemic.…
Libya: Subnational Governance as a Potential Anchor of Stability
As the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum proceeds, a government structure that genuinely responds to legitimate grievances will be key to sustainable peace.
Nestlé & Cargill v. Doe Series: Toward a Harmonized Test for Complicity of Corporate Officials?
[Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Just Security series on the consolidated cases of Nestlé USA, Inc. v. Doe I and Cargill Inc. v. Doe I, which was argued before…
COVID-19 and International Law: Refugee Law – The Principle of Non-Refoulement
[Editor’s Note: This article is part of a Just Security series, COVID and International Law. All articles in the series can be found here.] The threat posed by COVID-19 has…