The State of Paris: How the Climate Agreement is Faring After U.S. Withdrawal
Lucas Minich Vol. 39 Associate Editor On June 1, 2017, President Trump announced with great fanfare that he would unilaterally, as is arguably his right, withdraw the United States from the Paris Climate Agreement.[1] This landmark agreement calls upon its signatory nations to aggressively strive to fight climate change through cooperative efforts. More specifically, it […]
The Paris Agreement: Industrialized Powers’ Responsibility to Island Nations
Hyun Lee Vol. 39 Associate Editor A few months after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the United States’ future withdrawal from the Paris Agreement,[1] small Pacific island nations called for the implementation of the Paris Agreement in the United Nations General Assembly that took place on September 23, 2017.[2]
From North Dakota to Geneva: The Legal Battle Behind the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Protests of the Dakota Access Pipeline
Katrina Fetsch Vol. 38 Associate Editor In recent weeks, a normally peaceable state has found itself rife with conflict as protests erupted over the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) in North Dakota. The opposition began with the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, who opposed the pipeline on the grounds that its construction would result […]
Legal Framework for Retaliation against North Korea’s Rocket Launch
Ashley Harshaw, Vol. 37 Associate Editor Following North Korea’s long-range rocket launch on February 7, 2016, South Korea and the United States are urging for strong sanctions against the Kim Jong-un regime. But, it is unclear what kinds of sanctions will be effective in influencing North Korea’s behavior. The successful functioning of the rule of international […]
UN Peacekeeping Forces: Blind Boxers and Blue-Hatted Sitting Ducks
Richard Self, Vol. 37 Associate Editor “UN Peacekeepers provide security and the political and peacebuilding support to help countries make the difficult, early transition from conflict to peace.”[1] The stated mission of the United Nations Peacekeeping forces is an admirable one, but in the wake of 2015’s evolving global threats, the principles of the Peacekeeping […]
Getting Away with Murder: The United Nations’ Role in Fostering Accountability and Reconciliation in Post-War Sri Lanka
Yekaterina Reyzis, Vol. 37 Associate Editor Introduction The United Nations’ (“UN”) intervention in the Sri Lankan civil war spawned an international inquiry into the efficacy and legitimacy of UN forces and raised broader concerns about UN involvement in internal state conflicts generally. The aftermath of the conflict illustrates that during more than a quarter century […]
The UN’s Global Focal Point: Top-Down Bureaucracy, or Bottom-Up Results?
Stephen H. Packer Vol. 37 Managing Online Content Editor Vol. 36 Associate Editor Introduction The UN’s Global Focal Point for Police, Justice, and Corrections (“GFP”) is now two-and-a-half years old. United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced its creation in September 2012, when he appointed the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (“DPKO”) and the UN Development […]