December 2023
Ambassador David Scheffer argues that the United States must ratify the Rome Statute, ending the archaic 'immunity interpretation.' He asserts that after three decades of development in international criminal law, non-party states cannot evade accountability for atrocity crimes.
June 2020
This update provides a comprehensive overview of ongoing proceedings at the International Criminal Court (ICC), detailing various cases and legal developments. It also reports on the ICC's current investigative activities and the global status of Rome Statute ratification.
June 2020
The article discusses the recent escalation of hostilities between the U.S. government and the International Criminal Court (ICC). It argues that the ICC's jurisdiction is clear, covering crimes committed on the territory of state parties, regardless of national claims of sovereignty.
June 2019
The International Criminal Court faces simultaneous pressure from U.S. government threats, the controversial acquittal of Côte d'Ivoire's Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Ble Goude, the Philippines withdrawal from the Rome Statute, and a Pre-Trial Chamber rejection of an Afghanistan investigation that outraged civil society. The Court also addresses Jordan's failure to arrest Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir and prepares to elect a new Chief Prosecutor in 2020.
June 2019
The COPLA campaign, launched by Argentine NGO Democracia Global, advocates for a Latin American and Caribbean Criminal Court to prosecute transnational organized crime leaders and confiscate their assets, drawing on the Palermo Convention as its legal basis. The initiative has secured resolutions from Argentina's Congress, support from the Mercosur Parliament, and endorsements from President Mauricio Macri and Vice President Gabriela Michetti at the UN General Assembly.
June 2019
The International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect advances atrocity prevention by linking the R2P norm to gender equality, hosting side events at the Commission on the Status of Women and the UN Security Council debate on protection of civilians. New UN Special Adviser on R2P Karen Smith, appointed by Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in December 2018, takes responsibility for developing the norm across the UN system.
June 2019
The 25th anniversary of the Beijing Platform for Action, adopted by 189 governments in 1995 across twelve critical areas for women's advancement, drives a 2019 to 2020 cycle of national reviews, regional commission meetings, and a Commission on the Status of Women appraisal scheduled for March 2020. The process culminates in a September 2020 high-level General Assembly meeting aimed at setting ambitious implementation goals tied to the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.
June 2019
The 2016 UN General Assembly Declaration on the Right to Peace passed over the opposition of Western states including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada, carried by Latin American, African, and Asian countries. Douglas Roche argues that a culture of peace must be elevated into a legally recognized human right if the prevailing culture of war is to be overcome.
June 2019
The Women, Peace and Security agenda, anchored in UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), promotes women's participation in conflict prevention and peace negotiations, and addresses gender-based violence in armed conflict. A 2018 study of 82 peace agreements found that those with female signatories are associated with more durable peace and higher rates of implementation, yet women still represent only 4 percent of UN peacekeeping military troops.
December 2019
The Gambia filed a case at the International Court of Justice against Myanmar, alleging failure to prevent genocide against the Rohingya people. This legal action, supported by extensive documentation from UN bodies and human rights groups, seeks justice, reparations, and guarantees for the victims.
December 2019
The article reviews the history and evolution of international humanitarian law, focusing on the Geneva Conventions and related traditions. It highlights how these laws, alongside human rights provisions, aim to establish a rule of law that supersedes conflict.
December 2019
The International Coalition for the Responsibility to Protect (ICRtoP) recently monitored key debates on the Responsibility to Protect (R2P), highlighting prevention activities like veto restraint and combating hate speech. The organization also hosted panels focusing on young women's role in conflict prevention and provided training on early warning signs of atrocities.
December 2019
This proposal outlines a comprehensive approach for a Northeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone (NEA-NWFZ), suggesting a structure involving 'Intrazonal States' and 'Neighbouring Nuclear Weapon States.' The author urges the World Federalist Movement to consider the NEA-NWFZ as a formal agenda item at the 2020 Brussels Congress, noting its potential to shift Japan's foreign policy.
