Established in 2015, the MJIL Blog presents writing from MJIL’s Associate Editors, who come to the journal with varied and diverse interests in and experience with International Law. The Blog provides students with a robust platform to express their views on relevant and contemporary topics, with each new associate publishing at least one piece of high-quality short-form scholarship per volume.
This blog contains opinion pieces by members of the Journal’s editorial staff, academics and practitioners on issues germane to the Journal’s area of focus. The views expressed in an individual post represent the views of the post’s author only.
Dec 2022
Dr. Aleydis Nissen, Senior Researcher, Leiden University and Free Universities of Brussels
My book ‘The European Union, Emerging Global Business and Human Rights’ has just been published by Cambridge University Press.[1] In the first part of this book. I answer the question of whether extraterritorial countries are permitted to regulate abuse
Nov 2022
Jennifer Peterson-Sharma
Vol. 44 Associate Editor
The need for international regulations on data privacy has never been greater. Data privacy is among the few and relatively new fields of law that were developed across national borders.[1] Without a global regulator, however, states are applying their own laws to this issue that clearly
Louis Steinkuehler
Vol. 44 Associate Editor
Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine has highlighted the tenuous nature of the United Nations’ ability to respond to crises.[1] However, the international community’s response to such acts of aggression within the international legal framework has not always been so impeded. The international response to the Iraqi
Grace Bruce
Vol. 44 Associate Editor
Vladimir Putin’s close connection to billionaire Yevgeny Prigozhin and the Wagner Group is one of many factors chipping away at the illusion of Russian compliance with basic principles of international law.[1] The Wagner Group is a private military company that has been accused of committing war
Martin Greene
Vol. 44 Associate Editor
Since the end of the Cold War, authoritarian governments have used international organizations in a novel way. Where once governments would resist the influence of international organizations, they now seek to use them to advance their own political goals.[1] One illustrative example of this is the
Oct 2022
Javier Piñeiro
Vol. 44 Associate Editor
In the upcoming years, climate change will become a significant driver of migration, as entire countries face climate-induced land disappearance.[1] Due to climate change, sudden disasters are stronger and more frequent, causing floods and landslides that wipe out ecosystems.[2] Simultaneously, slower degradation processes, such as sea-level
Alexander Nye
Vol. 44 Associate Editor
On February 24, 2022, Russia announced a “special military operation” to “demilitarize” Ukraine.[1] Russia initially planned to capture Kyiv immediately and gain control over the country.[2] However, after this strategy failed, Moscow switched focus to annexing portions of Ukraine.[3]
If Russia had succeeded in controlling the entire
Kelly Grugan
Vol. 44 Associate Editor
On August 31, 2022, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (“OHCHR”) released an assessment (the “Assessment”) detailing the Chinese government’s treatment of Uyghurs in China’s Xinjiang region.[1] It reports that Uyghurs were forcibly detained in camps where they were allegedly subject
Muhui Shi
Vol. 44 Associate Editor
Despite two years of transatlantic data privacy vacuums, a new hope seems to have materialized after the White House announced its latest collaboration with the European Commission.[1] However, after both previous attempts at building a transatlantic privacy framework–the Privacy Shield and the International Safe Harbor Privacy
Andrea Lofquist
Vol. 44 Associate Editor
Environmental, social, and governance (ESG) metrics benefit shareholders in the long-term through value-creation,[1] but ESG reporting has been likened to the Wild West and concern over the non-binding nature of sustainability reporting standards abounds.[2] Since its introduction at the UN Climate Change Conference in 2021, the
Sep 2022
Ahan Gadkari & Tushar Rajput
Jindal Global Law School
On February 24, 2022, the Russian Federation (Russia) initiated a “special military operation” in Ukraine.[1] This was a transparent violation of the prohibition on the use of force within customary international law and codified within Article 2(4) of the United Nations (UN) Charter.[2] Further,
Feb 2022
Tyler Loveall
Vol. 43 Executive Editor
Despite long-standing economic focus on water as a resource,[1] little work exists on the effects of potential fresh-water financial instruments. In 2018, Nasdaq became the first major financial institution to launch a fresh-water price index.[2] Although related derivative contracts are yet to materialize, such derivatives are
Henry Altman
Vol. 43 Associate Editor
Founded in 2016, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy is a powerful example of the trend of cities organizing through quasi-legal ‘soft law’ agreements to confront global issues. The proliferation of the Covenant and other similar organizations has led to international law scholars
Mary Aertker
Vol. 43 Associate Editor
Historically, scholars have examined copyright as a purely legal doctrine, devoid of racial and post-colonial undertones.[1] Only recently have scholars begun to examine the shortcomings of international copyright frameworks and impacts on systemic inequalities.[2] This post will critically examine the current governing international copyright regime—the TRIPS
Becky Maz
Vol. 43 Associate Editor
Following its hostile takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban submitted a request to the U.N. General Assembly’s Credentials Committee (“Committee”) seeking approval for the appointment of its own delegation as a replacement for the country’s prior representation in the U.N. General Assembly.[1] In December
Nov 2021
Erin Kwiatkowski
Vol. 43 Associate Editor
For decades, sport has been utilized for its ability to affect international change. Often, sport is inextricably linked to national identity and global politics. However, one aspect infrequently discussed is the influence sport may hold in recognizing statehood for emerging entities. I believe that international recognition
Eric Gripp
Vol. 43 Associate Editor
Those most affected by climate change are being denied the right to have their voices heard. This is evident from how indigenous peoples are currently situated within the Arctic Council. The Arctic Council is an intergovernmental forum whose self-professed goal is “promoting cooperation in the Arctic.”[1]
Sara Khan
Vol. 43 Associate Editor
In 2004, Canada and the United States enacted the Canada–United States Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), an agreement designed to manage refugee claims at the shared land border.[1] Per the terms of the agreement, a refugee who enters via a land border port of entry is
Frank Sunderland
Vol. 43 Associate Editor
In the world of professional soccer, Europe is the marquis destination for any aspiring player. It is home to the most prestigious leagues and teams, many of which are also the highest paying. However, as with many systems where there exists the possibility for massive profits, there
Susanna Korkeakivi
Vol. 43 Associate Editor
In February 2021, Spotify announced its intention to launch its service into 85 new markets across Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and the Caribbean.[1] Although this is the company’s broadest expansion to date,[2] some may have been surprised to learn that there remained at least 85