On December 6, the United Nations (UN) Secretary-General António Guterres, acting under Article 99 of the UN Charter, formally warned the UN Security Council of a looming global threat from the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas. This is the first time that Guterres has invoked Article 99 since becoming Secretary-General, and only the fourth [...]
Search Results for: War Powers Resolution
The Taliban's Approach to International Law Could Determine the Legal Status of Their Regime
On August 15, 2021, Taliban forces seized Kabul, bringing an end to the era of the internationally sponsored Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (IRA), and reviving the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in its place. While the Taliban’s approach to issues of rights remains unchanged, their control over Afghanistan is virtually unchallenged for now, fostering inevitable [...]
Civilization and Human 'Oneness' — Templates for a Viable System of International Law
“God loves from Whole to Part, but human soul Must rise from Individual to the Whole.” Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man Though poorly understood, humankind can survive on this planet only by embracing viable systems of international law. More than anything else, these world-centered legal systems must be founded upon axiomatic principles of human [...]
ICC Chief Prosecutor says there are 'grounds to believe' war crimes are being committed in Sudan
The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor told the UN Security Council on Monday that “there are grounds to believe” that Sudan’s military is committing war crimes in Darfur. In his address to the UN, Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan stated that 1 in 3 people in affected areas in Chad are refugees from Sudan. He [...]
Explainer: Competing Legislative Agendas Come to a Head in Sri Lanka
The year 2024 is an important one for Sri Lanka. It is a presidential election year, and a resolution adopted by the UN Human Rights Council to gather evidence of international crimes for use in future prosecutions is due for renewal. After the public ousters of the former-elected President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in 2023, Ranil Wickremesinghe [...]
UN agency fires employees allegedly involved in October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced Friday that the agency fired a number of employees that were allegedly involved in the October 7 Hamas attacks on Israel. UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini stated: The Israeli Authorities have provided UNRWA with information about the alleged involvement of several [...]
Explainer: The Israel-Hamas War and the International Criminal Court
The current conflict engulfing Israel and Palestine raises significant issues of international law and policy. This is part one in an anticipated two-part series that will discuss some of the relevant legal questions before the International Criminal Court (ICC; Part I) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ; Part II). With both courts located in [...]
Shared Struggles, Shared Strength: Women Around the World Must Unite for Peace Amid Global Conflict
“It has been such a nightmare. You just feel powerless; you can’t comprehend any way to survive it … I long for the return of my calm and tranquil country — a country where children can live in peace.” “Air strikes have been indiscriminately killing people — all kinds of people: children, babies, doctors, journalists; [...]
The resumption of any kind of negotiations or diplomatic ties with the Taliban should come with principles and conditions. Such conditions should be no less than those enshrined in the fundamental principle of human rights and dignity and expected in a multi-ethnic and democratic country. Afghanistan cannot afford to settle for anything less than the [...]
The US’s Biden administration moved Wednesday to designate the Houthi rebels, Ansar Allah, as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group, the latest effort to cut the group’s financial resources in response to attacks on shipping lanes in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The designation will take effect on February 16. Officials stressed [...]