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Members of Yemen's Saudi-backed pro-government forces search for land mines in Yemen's war-ravaged western province of Hodeida on March 1, 2021. One person uncovers an object in the dirt delicately.

Put Yemen’s Civil Society – and Accountability — at the Center of the Push for Peace

Restoring US leadership and values on Yemen requires more than to stop selling bombs to the Saudis. Yemenis need the chance to confront impunity.
A Judge holds golden scales of justice with Sri Lanka waving flag background.

Sri Lanka’s Evasion of Accountability Tests the Limits of the International Human Rights System

Twelve years of failed justice must trigger an honest debate on the ability of these mechanisms to prevent violations and deal with historical atrocities.
Myanmar's Ambassador to the United Nations Kyaw Moe Tun raises a hand and addresses the General Assembly on Feb 26, 2021.

National Security Last Week at the United Nations (Feb. 19-26)

Increasing violence against civilians in South Sudan, Somalia; IAEA reaches temporary deal with Iran; human rights experts urge accountability at Guantanamo Bay. This and more…
Volkan Bozkir, President of the seventy-fifth session of the United Nations General Assembly, chairs the General Assembly meeting that hears a report of the Economic and Social Council.

UN Security Council Won’t Respond to Myanmar’s Coup, But the General Assembly Can

Responding to the coup in Myanmar calls for ambitious out-of-the-box thinking, and an understanding that such pressure is unlikely to come from the United Nations Security Council.
Sri Lankan Army Major General Jagath Dias points to a map where security forces are located during a presentation for Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse, and Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse at the city of Kilinochchi on April 16, 2009.

Universal Jurisdiction — the Most Difficult Path to Achieve Justice for Sri Lanka

The record shows that, if this is the only feasible route to accountability for now, countries will require additional support at the UN level to achieve accountability.
French Jihadist Melina Boughedir carries her son as she arrives to court in the Iraqi capital Baghdad on February 19, 2018. She walks into a wooden caged area.

Families in the Crosshairs of National Security

Families are being affirmed in public policy while simultaneously being targeted in security practice.
Families of victims and rights activists demonstrate outside Sri Lanka's main prison, demanding justice for the 27 inmates shot dead by security forces in 2012, in Colombo on September 12, 2017.

Emblematic Cases Expose the Long Road to Justice in Sri Lanka

For more than a decade, in one atrocity case after another, justice is delayed, denied, or even reversed, as the government pursues impunity.
Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), addresses the Munich Security Conference (MSC) Special Edition: "Beyond Westlessness: Renewing Transatlantic Cooperation, Meeting Global Challenges". Behind him is the WHO flag and a WHO banner.

National Security Last Week at the United Nations (Feb. 12-19)

Munich Security Conference Held Virtually, Biden Emphasizes Alliances The annual Munich Security Conference began on Friday with world leaders including U.S. President Joe Biden,…
A Sri Lankan demonstrator holds a portrait of a missing relative during a protest outside the United Nations office in Colombo on March 13, 2013.

Tamils – and Justice – Can’t Wait: The Need for Decisive UN Action on Sri Lanka

The credibility of the Human Rights Council and the UN system, given its “grave failure” in the past, depends on accountability for Sri Lanka’s atrocities.
Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapaksa addresses the nation as Airforce Chief Sumangala Dias, Army Chief Shavendra Silva, Navy Chief Piyal De Silva look on during the Sri Lanka's 72nd Independence Day celebrations in Colombo on February 4, 2020.

US Can Restore Leadership on Human Rights by Promoting Accountability in Sri Lanka

The Biden administration should press the UN Human Rights Council for action and impose its own measures, including further sanctions.
Journalists and well-wishers light candles on the grave of slain anti-establishment editor Lasantha Wickrematunge on his 12th death anniversary, in Colombo on January 8, 2021.

Escalating Attacks on Journalists in Sri Lanka Demand New Tack from Human Rights Council

The continuing impunity in the wartime killing of a revered editor and the recent escalation of rights abuses expose the government's recalcitrance.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay speaks to reporters at a Sri Lankan hotel in Colombo on August 25, 2013.

Former UN High Commissioner Pillay Says It’s Time for the Human Rights Council to Act on Sri Lanka

She notes the Sri Lankan government has made clear that it has no intention of pursuing accountability for atrocities committed during the civil war.
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