United Nations (UN)
1,271 Articles
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…
Bold Step on Privacy and Digital Rights
Political and diplomatic tussles over surveillance programs and digital hacking in the US, Germany, Brazil, China, and beyond show just how hard it is going to be to protect privacy…
UN’s David Kaye on Encryption, Anonymity, and Human Rights
In his first report as UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, David Kaye fired a shot across the bow of governments…
A Veteran’s Perspective on “Killer Robots”
Technological advances in robotics and other fields are already assisting soldiers with dull, dirty, and dangerous jobs on the battlefield. Within the military such advances should…
The UN’s “Universal Periodic Review” of US Human Rights Practices—National Security Highlights
Last week, the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review released a draft of its report on the United States’ UPR. The UPR is a process during…
Polish Outrage to Paying Victims of CIA Black Sites—and What the Eur Court Said
Poland will be paying a quarter of a million dollars to two Guantánamo detainees, Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri. The payment arises in the context of the torture of…
Encryption, Anonymity, and the “Right to Science”
“The right to science is sometimes considered a prerequisite for the realization of a number of other human rights.” – Farida Shaheed, UN Special Rapporteur on the field…
U.S. Policy on the ICC Crime of Aggression Announced
At the Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law earlier this month, Professor Michael J. Matheson of George Washington University Law School chaired a fascinating…