Ed Cullen Vol. 41 Associate Editor A challenge facing developing countries in joining and participating in the global economy is the effect of cartel and monopoly behavior on economic development. The creation of self-sufficient institutions to address these competition issues in developing countries is of central importance to development. The inefficiencies created by the unchecked perpetuation of anticompetitive practices actively hinder economic development by undercutting competition and stifling incentives to innovate.[1] Competition law is one

Joseph Lordi Vol. 41 Associate Editor On January 24, 2020, in Davos, Switzerland, the European Union, and 16 other WTO Member States declared their intent to establish a multi-party interim appeal arrangement in wake of the current WTO Appellate Body paralysis.[1] This interim appeal arrangement will be based on Article 25 of the WTO Dispute Settlement Understanding (DSU), which provides for alternative arbitration for WTO disputes.[2] According to the parties involved, the interim appeal arrangement

Derek Kang Vol. 41 Associate Editor Since July 1, 2019, Japan and South Korea have been locked in a bitter trade war, bringing relations to their lowest point in 41 years.[1] Arising out of historical and political tensions, this standoff between the world’s third and twelfth largest economies has destabilized an already fraught region and disrupted major supply chains around the globe.[2], [3] Tensions have receded with the new year, but the threat of trade

Emma Xu Vol. 41 Associate Editor No one could have known that a niche international arbitral tribunal headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland would break social media by deciding against South African athlete Caster Semenya for her naturally elevated testosterone.  The decision handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the spring of 2019, Caster Semenya v. International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), is just one of the many instances where international tribunals have

Evan Harary Vol. 41 Associate Editor Russian incursion into Ukrainian territory—in the form of the annexation of Crimea and the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia-backed separatists in Donbass—has provided for fertile territory for human rights abuses. Monitors report an uptick in generalized violence against women, as well as instances of torture, forced labor, illegal detentions, and appropriation of property under threat of violence.[1] Victims of these abuses are now seeking justice, both in Ukrainian

Reem El-Mehalawi Vol. 41 Associate Editor As the world becomes more globalized and connected, it is especially important to develop laws that will prevent global enterprises from being subject to double taxation. If every state were to tax a portion of a certain company’s profits, the sum of those portions might exceed the total income of the enterprise.[1] This can be an especially serious problem for shipping enterprises—their profits are generally quite modest, and taxation

Laura Boniface Vol. 41 Associate Editor Sicily, an island in the Mediterranean off the southwestern coast of Italy, is one of the world’s regions most strongly associated with organized crime. As recently as July 2019, officials in the United States and Italy arrested nineteen mafia suspects in an operation called “New Connection.”[1] The operation was successful in part because of the cooperation between the two nations, which is the sort of outcome envisioned by the

Cora Wright Vol. 41 Associate Editor On January 1st, 2020, South Africa significantly changed its refugee laws. However, these changes are inconsistent with international refugee law, specifically the 1951 Refugee Convention, to which South Africa is a party. These amendments to South African refugee law run contrary to the right of an asylum seeker to non-refoulment and to work.[1] Additionally, they add layers of red tape to South African’s asylum system while also subverting the

Wooyoung Lee Vol. 41 Associate Editor It is a wave that may be turning. Provisions for the exchange of information are standard in tax treaties because one of the primary purposes of bilateral tax treaties is to facilitate the exchange of information.[1] Since the US is relatively unusual among countries because it insists on taxing the income of its citizens regardless of where they are geographically,[2] the US has comparatively needed more information on its

Amanda Swenson Vol. 41 Associate Editor Investor state dispute settlement (ISDS) is an international legal proceeding whereby individuals and entities that invest in foreign countries can bring suit in international tribunals in order to protect their property interests associated with their foreign investments. The institution has been widely criticized among scholars, civil society organizations and public figures for a wide variety of reasons, not least of which is the institution’s potential for interfering with the