On December 12, 1997, the UN General Assembly proclaimed June 26 to be the United Nations International Day in Support of Victims of Torture. The day was intended to be used to ensure the total eradication of torture and the effective functioning of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or […]
Category Archives: International Law
Chagos Islands: UK refusal to hand back archipelago disregards international law and echoes era of colonialism
A nation’s military and geo-strategic interests cannot, under international law, prevail over the sovereign rights of other states. State sovereignty, self-determination, and decolonization are fundamental legal principles the UK should honor as it refuses, despite widespread international condemnation, to hand back control of the Chagos Islands in the Indian Ocean. Indeed, Britain’s expressed policy that […]
Palestine: International law comes to naught
No, rules are not made to be broken — certainly not when they are formalized in an international treaty. This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Fourth Geneva Convention — the most recent revision of the treaties first envisioned in 1864 — whose goal, as perceived by the signatory countries in August 1949, was […]
The MMIWG report: A call for decolonizing international law itself
The National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) has concluded that Canada has committed genocide against its Indigenous peoples. This is bolstered by a dense and sophisticated 46-page supplementary legal analysis appended to the report. International lawyers hardly have a monopoly over what is or ought to be characterized as genocide […]
U.S. does not respect international law, atmosphere not right for talks: Iran’s U.N. envoy
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Iran’s United Nations ambassador accused the United States on Monday of showing no respect for international law by imposing new sanctions on Iran, describing tensions between the pair as “really dangerous” and not the right atmosphere for talks. “You cannot start a dialogue with somebody who is threatening you, who is […]
Tracing the History, and Impact, of India’s Bilateral Investment Treaties
Globally, international investment law – the world of Bilateral Investment Treaties (BITs), chapters in the Free Trade Agreement and investor-state dispute settlements (ISDS) – is in a state of flux. Developed and developing countries alike have found themselves disenchanted with the existing regime of international investment law and the Working Group III of the United […]
Constitution must prevail over int’l law, says Carpio
Supreme Court Senior Associate, Justice Antonio Carpio, acknowledged the conflict between the Philippine Constitution and international law on whether national territory included areas in the West Philippine Sea within 370 kilometers from the country’s coastline, referred to as the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). The 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) […]
Jeffrey D. Sachs] America’s economic blockades and international law
US President Donald Trump has based his foreign policy on a series of harsh economic blockades, each designed to frighten, coerce, and even starve the target country into submitting to American demands. While the practice is less violent than a military attack, and the blockade is through financial means rather than the navy, the consequences […]
‘Wanton destruction’ in Sudan’s Darfur region, ‘blatant violation’ of international law
On 19 June, a group of protestors ransacked the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Graida office, in South Darfur, stealing an unspecified amount of money and vandalizing four vehicles. They also invaded and destroyed offices and properties of the humanitarian organization, World Vision International (WVI). “This behaviour is totally unacceptable, especially the looting and destruction of […]
America’s Economic Blockades and International Law
US President Donald Trump has based his foreign policy on a series of harsh economic blockades, each designed to frighten, coerce, and even starve the target country into submitting to American demands. While the practice is less violent than a military attack, and the blockade is through financial means rather than the navy, the consequences […]