International and Foreign

Supporters of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa attempt to push through barricades during a protest against the UN Human Rights Council's annual session, in Colombo on February 27, 2012.

US Re-Engagement in UN Human Rights Council Brings Influence, Leverage, Amb. Donahoe Says

On Sri Lanka and other issues, the Biden administration's decision sends the message that the protection of human rights is a deeply rooted priority.

Feb. 8, 2021 Beth Van Schaack

People wait in a line to vote at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, on January 14, 2021. Most wear masks, though not all wear them over their noses. They do not socially distance in line. Billboards for various stores hang above shop fronts behind the people in line.

Voter Trust: A Game Changer in Uganda

Why did so many registered voters in Uganda, with the power to contribute to the country’s democracy, not vote?

Feb. 5, 2021 Maria Kisumbi

Ethiopian Army soldiers stand as a pick-up truck with militia men passes by at Mai Aini Refugee camp, in Ethiopia, on January 30, 2021. Children sit under a tree behind the soldiers.

Five Steps the Biden Administration Needs to Take on the Crisis in Tigray

The Biden administration will need to move quickly to avoid further devastation in Tigray.

Feb. 5, 2021 Hardin Lang and David Del Conte

Sri Lankan journalist C.A Chandraprema gives a copy of 'Gota's War' to Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse as defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa looks on during the launch of the book 'Gota's War' in Colombo on May 14, 2012.

Sri Lanka’s UN Efforts to Stave Off Justice for War Crimes

The Rajapaksa government has gone so far as to install someone allegedly associated with a death squad on the Human Rights Council.

Feb. 3, 2021 Brad Adams

Local elderly residents take shelter in the basement of an undisclosed church on October 12, 2020 in Stepanakert, Nagorno-Karabakh. Boxes and blankets are placed in piles on the floor and there are a few chairs and benches on which people sit. A person walks past the camera using a walking cane.

Power Politics Obstructs Protection of Civilians in — and After — the Nagorno-Karabakh Conflict

Five measures that Azerbaijan and Armenia, along with Russia, Turkey, and the international community must take now to improve conditions.

Feb. 2, 2021 Beatrice Godefroy and Julien Théron

Relatives and friends hold photos of their missing loved ones at Galle Face promenade in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo on August 28, 2018.

Spotlight on Sri Lanka as UN Human Rights Council Prepares Next Session

Concerns over impunity and a troubling decline in human rights will be prominent, with a long-awaited report by the UN high commissioner for human rights.

Feb. 1, 2021 Beth Van Schaack

Female Israeli and Palestinian members of the "Parents Circle Families Forum" association, an organisation made up of more than 600 families who have seen a family member die in the conflict, destroy a symbolic wall representing the Israeli security barrier that runs through the occupied West Bank, in Beit Jala near the biblical town of Bethlehem, on March 10, 2017.

New Aid for Israeli-Palestinian Peacebuilding Aims at Issues Underlying Security

The Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act provides an unprecedented $250 million over five years for economic and people-to-people projects.

Jan. 29, 2021 David Harary

Family members and relatives take part in the funeral procession of Afghan journalist Rahmatullah Nekzad at Khoja Omari district of Ghazni province, on December 22, 2020. The group appears to walk uphill and fills the span of the block.

Unprecedented Threats to Journalists & Civil Society Activists Are Threatening Afghanistan

Who benefits from the killing of journalists, human rights activists, and civil society members in Afghanistan? What purposes could it serve and for whom?

Jan. 29, 2021 J. Hamida Andisha

This picture taken during a government-guided tour on December 27, 2020 shows inmates operating sewing machines at a workshop at al-Qanatir women's prison, at the tip of the Nile delta in Qalyoubiya province, about 30 kilometres north of Egypt's capital. The wear face masks and appear to be socially distanced.

Transforming the US Human Rights Report to Reflect Gender Rights — and Security

The Trump administration damaged the annual report's credibility. It is critical to rethink the data, especially on women and girls.

Jan. 26, 2021 Stephenie Foster and Susan Markham

Russian nuclear missile rolls along Red Square during the military parade marking the 75th anniversary of Nazi defeat, on June 24, 2020 in Moscow, Russia. The requirement to wear masks and gloves to combat a spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) is still in effect in Moscow, but none of the military members lined up wear face masks.

The Demise of Arms Control Extends Far Beyond Nuclear Weapons

Bilateral and multilateral mechanisms are disintegrating amid tech advances, and “grey zones” below military conflict thresholds are ripe for exploitation.

Jan. 22, 2021 Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr. and Elizabeth Turpen

Zimbabwe's President Emmerson Mnangagwa inspects the guard of honour from a car during the Defence Forces Day celebrations held at the National Sports Stadium in Harare on August 14, 2018.

The American Insurrection Was a Gain for Dictators, and a Loss for Zimbabweans

The Jan. 6 Capitol riot marked a setback for millions of people around the world who yearn for more democratic societies where their voices matter.

Jan. 21, 2021 Themba Mzingwane

Antony Blinken rests his chin in his hand during his confirmation hearing to be Secretary of State before the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee on January 19, 2021 in Washington, DC.

Blinken Sails Through Queries on Iran, China, Russia, NATO, and More in Secretary of State Confirmation Hearing

The Senate Foreign Relations Committee's Republicans and Democrats alike were mostly welcoming as they probed his approach to the world's trouble spots.

Jan. 20, 2021 Viola Gienger