In The News

Atom Agency Finds Pyongyang in Violation of Arms Accords

James Dao February 12, 2003
At the U.S.’s behest, the International Atomic Energy Agency has now found North Korea in violation of international nuclear weapons agreements. The Agency has sent the issue to the United Nations Security Council for review and to determine the appropriate action, which could include economic sanctions against North Korea. While China supports the U.S. initiative, Russia opposes it, saying...

Election for Criminal Court Judges Starts

Mark Turner February 4, 2003
The upcoming election of the first bench of judges for the International Criminal Court has raised interesting debates among the 88 member states on issues of sovereignty and citizenship; especially between some European countries and the United States, which differ greatly on these issues. The Court will handle trials of crimes against humanity, and while diplomats have expressed satisfaction at...

Political Will Needed to Eliminate Racial Discrimination

Zakki Hakim February 4, 2003
For those who take a long-term view of globalization, the phenomenon is in many ways a story of the movement of people. In some countries of Southeast Asia, Chinese descendants of early sojourners often hold positions of great economic strength but little political power. In Indonesia, people of Chinese descent are a tiny but wealthy minority of the population. Despite criticisms from observers...

Europe Acts Against US Effort on Ports

Gregory Couch January 28, 2003
The European Union's member states are joined together in an effort to remain competitive in an increasingly fierce and globally integrated world economy. It remains to be seen, however, whether the trend of globalization will undermine their national sovereignty. The United States, in an effort to combat terrorism abroad, has made bilateral trade and shipping security arrangements with...

European Court Agrees to Hear Chechens’ Suits Against Russians

January 17, 2003
In a move that both brings Russia within the fold of European law and alienates it from the European community, the European Court of Human Rights ruled that Chechens could sue the Russian army for crimes against humanity during the war in Grozny and its surroundings. This moves the Russian and Chechen fight out of domestic courts and into the international arena, giving credence to Chechnya’s...

A Discussion On Ethical Globalization

January 15, 2003
Is globalization unethical? That seems to be the view of many critics of globalization. Former President of Ireland and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Mary Robinson is taking an initiative to address that concern. The Ethical Globalization Initiative that she directs seeks to integrate human rights norms and standards into a more ethical globalization process and to...

New Survey Documents Global Repression

January 14, 2003
Is it only in periods of relative stability and peace that human rights should be an issue to the international community? The latest report from Human Rights Watch, a US-based international monitoring group, finds that the United States has undermined basic principles of human rights while pursuing the global war on terrorism. The organization's executive director says in this press...