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: diplomacy
Pakistan court finds Imran Khan 'compromised Pakistan's international standing' in cypher case
The Pakistan court that sentenced former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan for leaking state secrets released its full opinion on Thursday. The court, which sentenced Khan to ten years imprisonment, found that as a result of the actions of Khan and Vice President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shah Mahmood Qureshi, “Pakistan has faced serious economic, [...]
EU council adopts sanctions against 6 entities in Sudan conflict
The Council of the European Union on Monday adopted economic sanctions against six entities involved in the conflict between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). In its statement, the council stated that the newly sanctioned entities would have their EU-based assets frozen for their support of activities “undermining the stability [...]
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 [...]
Trump's Wrongful Pardons for Crimes Against International Law
“So far from it being unjust to punish him, it would be unjust if his wrongs were allowed to go unpunished.” Nuremberg Tribunal (1946) At the beginning of 2024, former President Donald J. Trump’s most conspicuously unsupportable legal claim has been his personal immunity from criminal prosecution. With this claim, Mr. Trump and his lead [...]
HRW annual rights report: 'transactional diplomacy' threatens global human rights system
Human Rights Watch (HRW) released its 2024 World Report on Thursday detailing the state of global human rights. The report’s central theme was that “transactional diplomacy” undermined global human rights institutions and enabled autocrats to worsen violations. HRW Executive Director Tiran Hassan described “transactional diplomacy” as when “governments disregard the benefits of long-term relationships built [...]
Trial of Jimmy Lai: 'It's About Freedom and Democracy,' Says Hong Kong Freedom Committee Director
The Hong Kong trial of prominent pro-democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai has garnered widespread attention globally. Lai, a 76-year-old British citizen and high-profile critic of Beijing, faces national security charges, and his trial is expected to take months. Lai is a prominent figure in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. His detention and subsequent trial exemplify [...]
China warn's against travel to northern Myanmar as unrest continues
The Chinese embassy in Myanmar urged all Chinese nationals on Thursday to leave northern Myanmar, which borders China’s Yunnan Province and Tibet Autonomous Region. The embassy’s statement came as military operations between the ruling junta in Naypyidaw and rebel ethnic armed forces coalition known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance continues in northern Myanmar. Deputy Director [...]
Palestinian Statehood and Demilitarization: A Falsifying Conjunction
“For by wise counsel, thou shalt make thy war.” Proverbs 24:6 Though one might think otherwise, there is no Palestinian state at present, nor has there ever been such a state in the past. Still, once the current Gaza War comes to an end – and whatever the tangible correlates of any war termination agreements [...]
Love, Suffering, Pity, and Death: The Tragic Sense of World Politics
“The most tragic thing in the world and in life, readers and brothers of mine, is love. Love is the child of illusion and the parent of disillusion; love is consolation in desolation; it is the sole medicine against death, for love is death’s brother.” Miguel de Unamuno, Tragic Sense of Life Looking Beneath: World [...]