United Nations (UN)
1,280 Articles
Too Much War, Not Enough Human Rights from the UN Special Rapporteur and European Parliament
Special Rapporteur on human rights and counterterrorism Ben Emmerson’s latest report and the European Parliament’s resolution on drones highlight some pressing issues. Most…
Key Findings in New UN Special Rapporteur Report on Drones
The UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Emmerson, has now released the final report on…
The Extraterritoriality of Human Rights Obligations
Following my short post on the extraterritoriality of human rights obligations, and our series on lex specialis and the interface between the law of armed conflict and international…
United Nations Releases New Report on Drones
[Editor’s note: Emmerson’s drone report is also publicly available on the UN website.] Last year, two UN Special Rapporteurs released major reports on drones — a…
Accountability & North Korea in Light of the Commission of Inquiry’s Report
An earlier post addressed the origins, mandate, and results of the Human Rights Council’s Commission of Inquiry dedicated to examining the commission of crimes against humanity…
Disturbing Findings of the North Korea Commission of Inquiry
The Commission of Inquiry (COI) focused on the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) released its first report this week. The report is a monumental depiction of the…
UN Joint Special Representative for Syria Holds Press Conference
[UPDATE: What ended up being a very short press conference is now over, we will include a video when it is made available by the UN] Happening now, Lakhdar Brahimi, the UN Joint…
Yemen Immunity in Jeopardy?
The Yemeni press last week published a fascinating interview with Mohammed Al-Mekhlafi, the Minister of Legal Affairs of Yemen, who suggests that notwithstanding the existence…
Trials in Absentia Under International, Domestic and Lebanese Law
As a follow on to our backgrounder on the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, one additional feature of the current proceedings is worthy of note: the trials are proceedings in absentia. …
A Guide to Revelations in Robert Gates’ Book (Duty): The Obama Years
Robert Gates’ memoir, Duty, which will be released later this week, contains significant insights into US foreign policy and international affairs affecting our country’s national…
Forced Transfer of Detainees with Diplomatic Assurances Against Ill-Treatment
Two recent developments have brought to the fore the issue of involuntary transfer of detainees to countries where they fear severe mistreatment such as torture or death. The first…
“This One Goes To Eleven”: The ICC and the Security Council
The unprecedented rejection by Saudi Arabia of its elected seat on the Security Council in October, 2013, ostensibly in protest of the Council’s perceived failures in the Middle…