Global Governance and Human Rights

In the Western Balkans, the Biden administration has all the tools necessary to achieve successful political and economic transformation. The newly-elected POTUS has a deep understanding of the region, and is all too aware that the carrot and the stick are more effective when there is agreement and mutual support between the European Union and the United States.

In order to ensure detained belligerents in conflicts are treated in accordance with principles of International Humanitarian Law, legal accountability mechanisms need to be strengthened to hold States to humane standards.

The legal debate around the position of civilians in the combatant landscape can both have consequences for the rights of the individuals in question, and also for the legitimacy of the intervention by Western forces in the Sahel.

In 2014, the Marshall Islands (RMI) attempted, unsuccessfully, to use International Law to compel States to disarm their nuclear capacities. With the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons set to enter into force in January 2021, the RMI’s earlier attempt to have States’ legal obligations clarified is relevant to the discussion on the legal status of nuclear disarmament in International Law.

Private military and security companies have a strong technical and security culture. But they lack human and humanitarian indicators to rely on. This shortfall contributes to widening the gap between security and human rights considerations, and to increasing possible human rights violations.

The 1994 Rwandan genocide is the most famous example of the power of language. This linguistic parallel between Cameroon and Rwanda is worrying, considering their similar history of discrimination patterns, human rights abuses and political exclusion of minority groups.

As the United Nations Security Council’s mandate under Chapter VI of the Charter of the United Nations is to maintain international peace and security, it has a responsibility to act to resolve the crisis. The possibility of conflict with Bangladesh and the threat of COVID-19 to the refugees illustrates that this crisis is a serious threat to international peace.

Disagreements between Russia and Turkey have again led to an intensified war in Syria, which forces the European Union to act and not only fulfil its moral obligations, but also find sustainable solutions for its member states and the community as a whole.

If 2020 is to be marked by change and progress, the drive for this needs to come from within – and there will be plenty of opportunities for the international community to start paying attention to the region again.

Investment in civil-military cooperation has increased in recent years, as there is greater recognition that this is a field in need of improvement.