Introduction On 18 March 2025, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia announced their withdrawal from the 1997 Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti- Personnel Mines and on their Destruction (Ottawa Convention or the Convention). In their joint statement they expressed their concern regarding the deterioration of security and increased military threats to NATO Member States bordering Russia and Belarus. They also stated that their withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention aimed at defending their territory and freedom. At the same time, they vouched their commitment to international humanitarian law and the protection of civilians in…
“Türkiye: Concern at widespread detentions” As Türkiye entered a challenging period—one that continues to unfold—United Nations Human Rights Office Spokesperson Liz Throssell made the following statement regarding the events: “We urge the authorities to ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly are guaranteed, in line with international law, and that credible allegations of unlawful use of force against protesters are promptly and thoroughly investigated.” It was not only Throssell who responded to the developments in Türkiye; a wide range of actors also expressed concern and issued calls to the Turkish government. Across these responses, a…
The workshop aims at gathering practitioners, policy makers and scholars of all disciplines and all career stages to discuss how global cooperation and international law can ensure sustainable development in the Arctic region. Submission Procedure For more information please visit the conference website at Navigating the North: Perspectives on sustainable development in the Arctic – University of Inland Norway. * With thanks to Dr Laura Létourneau-Tremblay for bringing this event to our attention.
Call for Books Judicial and quasi-judicial institutions play an increasingly important interpretative role in bringing international human rights law to life and shaping its contours. Any study of contemporary international human rights law must therefore look beyond a mere textual analysis of codified norms. Only through critical analysis of the human rights decision-making process can the breadth and effectiveness of the protection afforded be fruitfully gauged. Such analysis is urgently needed in a multi-polar, international community where questions concerning the function and adequacy of human rights law are routinely raised. The International Human Rights Law in Practice Series meets this need by…
* Guest blogpost by Dr Otto Spijkers. Otto Spijkers is assistant professor of international and European law at Leiden University College (LUC), Faculty of Governance and Global Affairs of Leiden University. Before joining Leiden University College, Otto was professor of international law at Wuhan University’s China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies as well as its Research Institute of Environmental Law. Prior to joining Wuhan University, he worked at the Utrecht Centre for Water, Oceans and Sustainability Law and Netherlands Institute for the Law of the Sea of Utrecht University, Netherlands. He authored his doctoral dissertation, entitled The United Nations,…
“Türkiye: Concern at widespread detentions” As Türkiye entered a challenging period—one that continues to unfold—United Nations Human Rights Office Spokesperson Liz Throssell made the following statement regarding the events: “We urge the authorities to ensure that the rights to freedom of expression and freedom of assembly are guaranteed, in line with international law, and that credible allegations of unlawful use of force against protesters are promptly and thoroughly investigated.” It was not only Throssell who responded to the developments in Türkiye; a wide range of actors also expressed concern and issued calls to the Turkish government. Across these responses, a…
Introduction This blogpost provides a general international law analysis concerning issues of academic boycott and relevant legal obligations of States and of universities concerning the dire situation of higher education institutions (HEIs) in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (oPt), due to measures taken by Israeli authorities[see also Gentian Zyberi, World’s higher education institutions need to react to the mass atrocities committed by the IDF in Gaza, 5 May 2024]. First, I provide some context about the escalation of the armed conflict in Gaza since October 2023 and more generally the HEIs situation in the oPt. Then, the focus turns to analyzing…
Some context concerning the latest escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since 7 October 2023 The indiscriminate attacks launched by Hamas militants on 7 October 2023, resulting in about 1,200 Israelis killed and several thousands’ wounded (also in following days), with about 240 persons forcefully detained and taken back to the Gaza Strip, including children and elderly persons, took the world by surprise. What rightfully and immediately followed was the condemnation of these attacks by Heads of States and Governments, many emphasizing Israel’s right to defend itself without making any qualifications. Since then, due to military action by the Israeli army,…
