Iustitiae

  Today is the 100th birthday of Nelson Mandela, one of the most exceptional and transformational political leaders of all times.  This important day of remembrance comes at a moment that is particularly troubling from a human rights perspective: racism is rampant; children’ s most basic rights are violated on account of their nationality and migrant status of their parents; multilateralism appears to be on the retreat; every day there are migrants, including migrant children, that drown in the Mediterranean Sea;…

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“This is happening in your real life. Wake up, people. Wake up.” This was the exhortation of Elisabeth Moss who plays Offred in the television series based on the Margaret Attwood novel of the same name, The Handmaid’s Tale, when asked during an interview with The Guardian about the not uncommon reaction that the show is just too scary to watch.[1]  Sadly, Elisabeth Moss is right; it is time to wake up and acknowledge that women in the United States…

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On February 7, 2018, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) issued General Recommendation No. 37 on gender-related dimensions of disaster risk reduction in the context of climate change.  The recommendation provides guidance to the 189 State parties to the 1979 UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women on the fulfillment of their treaty obligations in the fields of disaster risk reduction and climate change. The Recommendation is groundbreaking in many…

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It is a welcome development that President Trump will soon meet with North Korea’s Leader Kim Jong Un.  The meeting may represent a turning point in the diplomatic relations between the US and North Korea, and unravel highly pressing security issues for the US, Northeast Asia and the international community as a whole. President Trump should heed the point of view of the UN special rapporteur on human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.  He should combine talks on…

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“Let God be God.” Yesterday, Sunday April 15, 2018, saw the premiere of a new documentary film by award-winning director Rebecca Haimovitz entitled “62 Days”. It is the story of the death of Marlise Munoz and her family’s fight to accord her dignity in death. Marlise Munoz, aged 33, mother to a 15-month old son, and much-loved wife and daughter, was 14 weeks into her second pregnancy when she collapsed, apparently with a blood clot in her lungs.   She was discovered…

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      The end of summer 2017 has posed extraordinary disaster management challenges for the US.  Between August 26 and September 20, 2017, Hurricane Harvey ravaged Texas, Hurricane Irma affected Florida, and Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico. While the US responded swiftly and with urgency to the damage Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused in Texas and Florida, the relief delivered in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria has fallen short.  The assistance that local and federal authorities…

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Today, Tuesday 6th February 2018, the United Kingdom (UK) will celebrate the centenary of women being granted the right to vote. Although the Representation of People Act 1918 did not extend suffrage to all women (this was only achieved in 1928) this day in 1918 is one to be remembered and celebrated. It is surely a day upon which thanks should be given to all those who struggled for women’s suffrage. It is also fitting, albeit long overdue, that the…

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“In Alabama, I saw various houses in rural areas that were surrounded by cesspools of sewage that flowed out of broken or non-existent septic systems. The State Health Department had no idea of how many households exist in these conditions, despite the grave health consequences.”[1]  “I saw people who had lost all of their teeth because adult dental care is not covered by the vast majority of programs available to the very poor […].”[2] These are only a few examples…

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Welcome to Iustitiae, a forum where we appraise, based on our respective interests and expertise, current developments in the field of human rights that we deem of particular importance. We hope to introduce fresh perspectives; highlight issues or points of views we feel are overlooked, and stir debate. We would like to begin with a discussions on the statement of the UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, Philip Alston, on his December 2017 visit to the U.S….

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