In The News

Chile’s Constituent Assembly: La Tercera

June 27, 2020
Chile has formed a Constituent Assembly, charged with proposing a new constitution. Bruce Ackerman, constitutional law professor of Yale University, offers guidance and maintains that the assembly should not include delegates who are members of the existing government. “If you allow the existing regime to control half of the seats, these members won’t be very interested in correcting the status...

Flashpoint in New Financial War: New Statesman

George Magnus June 17, 2020
China and the US wage war on multiple fronts – trade, tech, social media and communications. China takes steps to impose a National Security law for Hong Kong and that could extend a new front into finance and weaponization of capital, argues George Magnus for New Statesman. The United States has “the biggest, deepest, most transparent and trusted capital markets subject to the rule of law, and...

Media Under Attack in Philippines: Rappler

Ryan Macasero June 16, 2020
Numerous non-profit organizations in the Philippines accuse the Duterte administration of using the Covid-19 pandemic to attack the press freedoms and block scrutiny of corruption and human rights abuses. A Manila court convicted Rappler’s CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr. of cyber libel for a 2012 report. One group said “the verdict delivers a ‘chilling effect’ to other...

UNHRC to Debate Systemic Racism: AFP

June 15, 2020
Burkina Faso’s ambassador to the UN, Dieudonné Desiré Sougouri, wrote a letter for 54 African countries calling for “urgent debate” from the UN Human Rights Council on systemic racism, police brutality, human rights violations against people of African descent and the attacks against peaceful protesters. The UNHRC, after a disruption due to Covid-19, resumes its 43rd session today. “The call came...

Sanctions Against ICC Officials: Al Jazeera

June 12, 2020
Donald Trump authorized economic and travel sanctions against International Criminal Court officials investigating military and intelligence officials of the US and its allies for war crimes in Afghanistan and elsewhere. The United States rejects ICC jurisdiction over US personnel, and the United Nations, the European Union and human rights groups condemn the sanctions. “The Hague-based court was...

Keep the US in WHO: Foreign Affairs

Harold Hongju Koh and Lawrence O. Gostin June 7, 2020
The United States represents about 25 percent of the world’s confirmed Covid-19 cases. US withdrawal from the World Health Organization, as proposed by the president based on false claims, would damage global health security and the rule of law. The US Congress can hold hearings and opponents can go to court, arguing the president lacks constitutional authority. Trump is correct that WHO should...

US to Withdraw From Open Skies Treaty: NYT

David E. Sanger May 23, 2020
US President Donald Trump will inform Russia that the United States will begin a six-month clock to withdraw from the Open Skies Treaty – “negotiated three decades ago to allow nations to fly over each other’s territory with elaborate sensor equipment to assure that they are not preparing for military action,” reports David Sanger for the New York Times. Sanger expresses concern that the next...