The essential irrelevance of the United Nations to global economic policy was nicely illustrated this week by President Obama's trip from New York to Pittsburgh, site of the G-20 summit. Potentially important, even momentous decisions, on economic and financial policy were discussed and maybe even decided there, while the U.N. General Assembly meetings showcased its usual mix of wacky heads...
The Washington Post has a blistering editorial on the Obama Administration's quiet decision last week not to seek legislative authorization for the preventive detention for terrorist suspects. It is the, the Post declares, a "politically expedient and intellectually dishonest route." Like President George W. Bush, President Obama now asserts that the 2001 Authorization for the Use of Military Force gives him...
CNN has the story: "Where do you live?" Seems like a simple question, doesn't it? But the answer is not clear-cut for everyone. Take people who live in Srinagar, the capital of Kashmir, which is wedged between India, Pakistan and China. India and Pakistan have gone to war repeatedly over the disputed territory. Technically, it's "Indian-administered." But on Facebook, it's simply in India. Questions like this have...
So, on the lighter side, the Onion shows Secretary General Ban how to deal with collective action problems once and for all ...
Ed Whelan notes (in his typically colorful way) that State Department Legal Advisor Harold Koh has been implementing one of President Obama's signing statements with respect to meeting with designated state sponsors of terrorism at U.N. meetings. A federal law passed by Congress and signed by Obama prohibits such meetings, but Obama issued a signing statement saying the provision on...
I opened the latest SSRN Public International Law listings this morning and noted with pleasure Peggy's response to Professor Michael Stokes Paulsen's recent article on constitutional interpretation and international law. Peggy's reply is in the Yale Law Journal online edition. As always Peggy makes fresh and lively arguments, and although I incline to Professor Paulsen's views on this, I think...
Among many administration doings on the human rights front this week, the Senate this week voted to confirm Mike Posner as Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Democracy, Human Rights and Labor. Mike had served as executive director at Human Rights First (formerly the Lawyers Committee for Human Rights) for decades since its founding, and is as steeped as...
I've only been vaguely aware of the ongoing battle between Chevron and Ecuador. Ecuador courts are currently entertaining an enormous lawsuit against Chevron, but Chevron has really taken the offensive by releasing videos suggesting that the Ecuadorian judge has been accepting bribes. And in its latest salvo, Chevron has filed an investor-state claim under the United States- Ecuador Bilateral Investment...
I know you have all missed my blogging about international trade law. So now that I'm back (at least for a while), let me highlight a neat legal issue raised by China in its appeal of a recent WTO decision against its restrictions on foreign media. According to this WSJ report, China has raised the "public morals" defense contained in...
On the eve of President Obama taking the chair at the Security Council, David Bosco takes on a few of the common assumptions about the Council over at Foreign Policy. I largely agree with Bosco's quick (and yes, Ken, "breezy" - it seems to be a quality FP is promoting these days!) take on the central themes: (1) the Council...
University of Pennsylvania law professor Paul Robinson had a stinging, but somewhat confusing critique of the international law governing the use of force in yesterday's WSJ. Last week the United Nations issued a report painting the Israelis as major violators of international law in the three-week Gaza war that began in December 2008. While many find the conclusion a bit unsettling or...
I break my self-imposed blog exile to shamelessly promote an event we are hosting at Hofstra this Friday: the first ever all day teaching workshop devoted solely to teaching international law. The event is sponsored by the American Society of International Law and the American Branch of the International Law Association with the support of Hofstra. (OK, I don't actually know...
