Velásquez Paiz et al v Guatemala: Femicide in Guatemala – Part II
On 19 November 2015, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (‘the Court’) handed down a decision on gender-based violence in Guatemala. This decision comes at a time when Guatemala has...
US Sanctions on North Korean Human Rights Violators: Exploring the Impact
On July 6, the US State Department released its report on North Korean human rights violations pursuant to its requirements under the North Korea Sanctions and Policy Enhancement Act of...
Prevention is Key to Ending State Conflict & Fragility
Conflict, violence and instability are troubling yet familiar phrases that continue to dominate media headlines. At the recent World Humanitarian Summit held last month in Istanbul, the take-home message for...
Human Rights Protections in Northern Ireland: How to Make the Best Out of a Bad Situation
Recent political developments give reason to be disheartened about the future protection and safeguarding of rights across the UK in coming years. In the particular context of Northern Ireland, though,...
Rodrigo Duterte – the Philippines’s Human Rights Wild Card
On 9th of May, Rodrigo Duterte, a long-time mayor of Davao City in the Southern island of Mindanao, was elected the new president of the Philippines, winning nearly 40 percent...
The 9 Point Agreement and the Fate of the Transitional Justice System in Nepal
For more than a decade, Nepal had undergone a conflict between the security forces and the Maoist political movement led by the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-M). The conflict ended...
The Missing Peace? Global-Regional Partnerships in Africa
UN peace operations have reached unprecedented levels of cost, complexity and risk – and its operational focus is clear. Nine of the 16 current UN peacekeeping missions are in Africa,...
The UK and Saudi Arabia: Human Rights and the Perils of Petrodollar Morality – Part II
In Part I, we looked at how the UK’s “special relationship” with Saudi Arabia underpins its half-hearted approach to the kingdom’s dismal human rights record. The cornerstone of this relationship...
Human Rights Advisory Panel urges the UN to compensate Roma, Ashkali and Egyptian families for lead poisoning in IDP camps
On 8 April 2016, the Human Rights Advisory Panel (HRAP) released its long-awaited opinion in the case of N.M & others against the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo...
The Struggle for Right to Information in Sri Lanka: Is it Leaving Victims Behind?
Sri Lanka is on the brink of a historic moment. Following a long struggle spanning over a decade, a Bill on the Right to Information (RTI) was tabled in the...
Amnesty Law in Venezuela
Venezuela’s recently elected National Assembly is currently debating the approval of an amnesty law. Aside from the concerns about the legality of amnesty under international law itself, Article 29 of...
Geneva (III), Politicking and Possibility for Syria’s Invisible 43%
2015 faded into the new year with a glimmer of hope for the people of Syria. A hope propelled by renewed international engagement, as expressed within the Vienna Statements of...