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World flags in front of the United Nations building

The Definition of Aggression and Self-Defense

Exactly forty-six years ago, on December 14, 1974, the United Nations General Assembly adopted, by consensus, the Definition of Aggression, “the most serious and dangerous form…
Women wait with children in a ward at a malnourishment treatment centre in Yemen's northern Hajjah province on November 22, 2020. The beds the children lie in are covered in netting, and the walkways between beds are very small since the beds are crowded together.

Biden Must Stick to His Pledge to End US Support for the Yemen War

The war in Yemen is a global mark of shame, and the resulting humanitarian disaster threatens the lives of 24 million people.
Ethiopian refugees who fled the Tigray conflict, wait to fill their jerrycans with water at Um Raquba reception camp in Sudan's eastern Gedaref state on December 3, 2020. The jerry cans are lined in an “L” shape and people cluster in groups talking.

National Security Last Week at the United Nations (Dec 4 – Dec 11)

Ethiopia’s Forces Fire On, Detain U.N. Personnel; UNHCR Voices Alarm  Ethiopia’s security forces shot at and detained U.N. staffers as they tried to reach part of the embattled…
A projection on the Louvre Museum in Paris by Amnesty International members depicting jailed Saudi human rights activists including Loujain Al-Athloul and reading "Mr Macron, demand their release", ahead of the upcoming virtual G20 summit. November 19, 2020

Defending Women’s Rights Is Not Terrorism: A Saudi Prosecution on Human Rights Day

UN entities that support and enable counterterrorism, including in cooperation with the Kingdom, must ensure such abuses end.
Jarraye Moore, age 5, listens to speakers at a candle light vigil for his second cousin, Kevin Peterson Jr., on December 6, 2020 in Vancouver, Washington. Clark County Sheriffs deputies shot and killed Peterson in October, sparking Black Lives Matter vigils and counter protests by far-right groups.

If the US Wants to Lead on Human Rights, We Must Shift to the State and Local Level

With little fanfare, the Trump administration participated in a review of the United States’ human rights record on Nov. 9. In a rare moment of engagement with United Nations…
The 19th Session Human Rights Council. 15 March 2012.

The UDHR, Digital Authoritarianism, and Human Rights after Trump

"A simple return to an imagined world of pre-Trump human rights is not enough."
Ethiopian refugee grade four pupils who fled the Tigray conflict attend class at a makeshift classroom set by the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) at Um Raquba refugee camp in Gedaref, eastern Sudan, on December 7, 2020. One child squats on the ground surrounded by shoes while the others sit on a blanket. The children hold books and papers in their laps.

Protecting Ethiopian Refugees — and Averting the Next Crisis

Refugee crises often seem to emerge out of nowhere. All of a sudden, people are streaming across borders, making the excruciating choice that is no choice at all: to flee home…
Iraqi Yazidis attend a candle-lit vigil in the Sharya area, some 15 kilometres from the northern city of Dohuk in the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan region on August 3, 2020, marking the sixth anniversary of the Islamic State (IS) group's attack on the Yazidi community in the northwestern Sinjar district. Candles are placed on the ground and people hold pictures of those who died.

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.
Secretary-General António Guterres holds a lecture at Columbia University entitled “State of the Planet”. The UN flag is behind him and beside him is a large television screen with the presentation title.

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…
Activists stand at the entry gate to the Krome Service Processing Center as they honor the life of Kuan Hui Lee, who died in the custody of ICE at the Krome Service Processing Center. One sign reads, “Free them all.” They wear facemasks. August 15, 2020 in Miami, Florida

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.…
Libyan delegates, including Abdessalam Shuha, Abdallah Shibani, Hussein Mohamed Elansari, an unidentified participant and Abdel Majid Mlayqtah attend the opening of the Libyan Political Dialogue Forum hosted in Gammarth on the outskirts of Tunisia's capital, on November 9, 2020. They stand side by side not socially distanced and wear face masks, though two of them do not wear the face masks properly, ie. not covering their noses.

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.
Refugees are seen protesting in the wake of the burning down of Camp Moria on September 11, 2020 in Kara Tepe, Greece. A number of the protesters are small children. All protestors wear face masks. Signs read, “We want freedom” and “No Moria.”

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…
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