Human Security Centre Human Rights and International Security Research
We are pleased to announce that our submissions to Select Committee inquiries now feature prominently in two reports published by Parliament this month:
House of Lords:
On 28 March 2014, the House of Lords Select Committee on Soft Power and the UK’s Influence published its much-awaited report Power and Persuasion in the Modern World, wherein many of the points were constructed almost exclusively around the evidence we submitted. The report cites the Humanitarian Intervention Centre no fewer than 16 times.
We are particularly pleased that the Lords made mention of one of our most important points that is central to our work at the Centre: that a country’s soft power derived largely from its foreign policies, “particularly where those policies reflect the perceived legitimacy of the state and are a manifestation of its moral authority.”
Another important excerpt from the Lords’ report notes:
The Humanitarian Intervention Centre argued that on the international stage the UK is, for the most part, “highly respected for its moral conscience and standing which is based to a large extent on its rigorous upholding of the rule of law, protection of human rights and engagement with the international legal system”. The UK is a signatory to all major human rights treaties, the International Criminal Court and the Council of Europe, and advocates for the protection of human rights in Europe and across the world. In the Centre’s view, this position was underscored by the UK’s condemnation of atrocities committed in Syria, and by the work that the UK has undertaken in developing the Declaration of Commitment to End Sexual Violence in Armed Conflict.
House of Commons:
Likewise, on 2 April 2014, the House of Commons Defence Select Committee published its report UK Armed Forces Personnel and the Legal Framework for Future Operations, which again featured evidence submitted by the Humanitarian Intervention Centre.
The report mentions, “the Humanitarian Intervention Centre stated that it was essential that military personnel of all ranks were provided with extensive and high quality training and education on the legal framework.”
Developments at the Centre:
In addition to these exciting developments about the impact our work has had in Parliament, we are pleased to report that we have had a very productive month at the Centre itself.
Since the rebrand exactly a month ago, we have published 13 new articles, where we have dealt extensively with the crisis in Crimea and its implications on Moldova and Estonia, the energy politics of Russia and Europe, and the reprehensible homosexuality legislation in Uganda.
We were also delighted to receive guest contributions from some brilliant minds – Timothy Stafford, Laura Dzelzyte, Colm Lauder, Ghenadie Virtos, Domagoj Baresic and Linda Eichler.
In addition, we have had a very encouraging response to our new website, which has attracted over 10,000 page views in the first four weeks of operation.
