It is difficult to overstate the horrors the US inflicted on Cambodia from the air during the Vietnam War: 230,000 sorties involving 113,000 different sites; 500,000 tonnes of bombs, as much as the US dropped in the entire Pacific theatre during WW II; at least 50,000, and probably closer to 150,000, innocent civilians killed. Even worse, that bombing campaign, along with...
PHAP -- Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection -- is advertising two positions in Geneva that might be of interest to readers. The first is Policy Coordinator: The International Association of Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection (PHAP) is looking for an experienced policy professional to support the association’s efforts to foster new perspectives on critical issues affecting the humanitarian sector...
A terrific event is coming up in NYC Friday, March 10, 2017, 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. at the New York City Bar. Ian Johnstone, Jacob Katz Cogan, Thomas G. Weiss, and Anjali Dayal will discuss the Future of International Organizations. The Moderator will be Mona Khalil of Independent Diplomat. The speakers are editors and contributors to the Oxford Handbook of International Organizations. This...
Apparently, being named Charles and having vast military experience is all the rage in the blogosphere these days. Last week I mentioned Charles Blanchard's new blog. And this week I want to spruik Charles Dunlop's new(ish) blog, Lawfire. Charlie is a retired Major General in the US Air Force (where he served, inter alia, as Deputy Judge Advocate General) and currently serves as Executive...
The blog is a one-man show, and that man is Charles Blanchard -- former General Counsel of both the Air Force and the United States Army, current partner at Arnold & Porter in DC. The blog will focus on national-security law, which Chuck "define[s] pretty broadly -- to include topics such as climate change and immigration as well as defense policy." Recent posts...
As has been widely reported, 17 international-law scholars -- including yours truly -- recently submitted a 105-page communication to the Office of the Prosecutor alleging that Australia's treatment of refugees involves the commission of multiple crimes against humanity, including imprisonment, torture, deportation, and persecution. The communication is a tremendous piece of work, prepared in large part by the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and...
Oh, Fox News, how I love thee: PS: In case you're wondering, yes, it's real....
There are lots of panels and conferences being held around the U.S. (and maybe outside the U.S.) on the new Trump Administration's policies and their impact on international law. I would like to recommend our readers view some or all of the video from this half-day conference recently hosted in Washington D.C. by the Federalist Society and the American Branch of...
Seton Hall Law School (where I am a professor) organized an excellent panel on the travel ban and immigration restrictions last Thursday, Feb 2. For those who wish to learn more about the legal effects of the executive order, I encourage you to watch it here. You will see presentations by Professors Lori Nessel, Ed Hartnett and Jonathan Hafetz discussing the...
Kill me: Funding will be taken away from any organisation that is "controlled or substantially influenced by any state that sponsors terrorism" or is behind the persecution of marginalised groups or systematic violation of human rights. The order has singled out peacekeeping, the International Criminal Court and the United Nations Population Fund. The UNPFA targets violence against women, fights to keeps childbirth and abortion,...
I want to call readers' attention to what should be -- despite my participation -- a fantastic event at City Law School the week after next. Here is the info: City, University of London: The Refugee Crisis and International Criminal Law: Are Australian Agents and Corporate Actors Committing Crimes Against Humanity? City Law School invites you to a panel discussion of international...
It is early days, and much we don’t know – including, indeed, whether the draft Executive Order the new Administration is contemplating (as reported by the New York Times and Washington Post) is indeed an official document of the new Administration. For the time being, let me offer a few reasons why I’m worried, and reasons why I’m not...
