United Nations (UN)
1,338 Articles
The UK’s Letter to the UN Security Council Leaves Plenty of Unanswered Questions About Last Month’s RAF Drone Strike
Yesterday, I wrote a post helping to untangle some of the international law questions involved in last month’s UK drone strike in Syria that killed three individuals, two of…
Amb. Stephen Rapp on Sri Lanka’s War Crimes Investigation
At the end of August, the United States announced that it would support Sri Lanka’s plan for investigating alleged war crimes that occurred during the final years of the country’s…
Two More British Citizens are Dead From a Targeted Killing in Syria
UK Prime Minister David Cameron speaking before Parliament on Sept. 7 revealed that in addition to alleged ISIL hacker, recruiter, and propagandist Junaid Hussain, two other Britons…
The Dark Side of Peace Enforcement: Sexual Exploitation in CAR
Media reports continue to trickle through detailing rape and indiscriminate killing by peacekeepers in the Central African Republic (CAR). Despite condemnation by UN Headquarters…
Women, Peace and Security: A Review of the High Level Review
September 2015 marks the 15th Anniversary of the landmark UN Security Council Resolution (SCR) 1325 on Women, Peace and Security. UNSCR 1325 prompted significant and important…
It’s Complicated: The Nuance of Any US Effort to Defend Division 30 from Assad
It has been reported that President Obama has authorized the US armed forces to come to the defense of the new non-State group the United States is training to fight ISIS (Islamic…
The Reason Why the UK Lost the Serdar Mohammed Case
The United Kingdom Court of Appeal handed down its judgment in Serdar Mohammed v. Ministry of Defense last Thursday. The decision, which assessed the lawfulness of the 110-day…
Mavi Marmara Case Update: Prosecutor Files Notice of Appeal
Last week I argued here that the ICC Prosecutor should appeal or refuse to follow the Pre-Trial Chamber’s (PTC) majority order to reconsider her decision not to open a formal…
Has the Human Rights Committee Extended its Reach?
Last week the UN Human Rights Committee, the independent body created by the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) to monitor states’ compliance, issued…
The ICC Prosecutor’s New Draft Strategic Plan
Back in October 2013, I wrote here about International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s strategic plan for 2012-2015, which marked a change in direction towards…
“International Cyber Stability” and the UN Group of Governmental Experts
In recent months, the United States has been pushing a new policy of “international cyber stability.” In a speech in Seoul in May, Secretary of State John Kerry explained that…
Uncomfortable Conversations in Geneva
The United Nations Human Rights Committee (HRC) is currently holding its annual session in Geneva to consider the reports submitted by states setting out their adherence to the…