Regents Professor Uni. of Minnesota; Professor of Law The Queen's University, Belfast; RIA; Former UN SR on HR & Counter-Terrorism, ICJ Commissioner, KC (Hons).
#SilkDay
(UK). So pleased to be appointed honorary King’s Counsel to HRH Charles III last week by the Lord Chancellor @ Westminster Hall. Reflecting on famous British trials there (Thomas More, Guy Falks) and taking in its beauty. A lovely day.
The best way to support a scholar under attack is by reading her extraordinary work. Here Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian’s unparalleled work on children - cited in multiple
#UN
reports of mine as Special Rapporteur is a good place to start.
A great day for the ICJ, international law and the voices of feminist scholars in International Law. Hilary Charlesworth is the new incoming judge of the ICJ with an absolute majority of votes in the UNGA and the UNSC.
Prof. Nadera Shalhoub-Kevorkian one of the foremost feminist scholars of her generation / Hebrew U Law School & the Global Chair in Law Queen Mary London was arrested yesterday. An assault not only on democratic & academic freedom but an attack feminist & critical scholarship.
Feminist foreign policies mean very little when mothers and their children are denied both the protection of international humanitarian law and implementation of WPS commitments.
At my Press Conference in New York yesterday I address the evisceration of civil society across the globe due to the ongoing misuse of counter-terrorism measures. We are not safer or more secure when we target civil society.
When the Ambassador to Afghanistan pleads w/ the HRC to establish a fact-finding mechanism to investigate HR violations & instead we get a resolution where Taliban is not named & no action taken in the face of such violations, understand why average people feel cynical about HR.
This is an extraordinary development - can law speak to this moment of grievous international law violations? The detail and substance of the South African filing makes for somber reading.
As the
#SecurityCouncil
meets this morning, let us not forget exactly whom we are dealing with in
#Afghanistan
, and the obligations of States under international law to prevent and suppress terrorism.
Deep concern about designation of leading Palestinian human rights organisations as 'terrorist'. We have seen this HR negating playbook before. I addressed the violations of international law involved in Report A/HRC/40/52. More to follow.
@DCIPalestine
@alhaq_org
@UN_SPExperts
(1/11) Today, the Israeli Ministry of Defense issued a military order declaring
@DCIPalestine
and five other Palestinian human rights organizations to be "terrorist organizations."
Here's our full statement from General Director Khaled Quzmar:
One Irish Special Rapporteur is good but two formidable Irish women is better. A shout out to my friend and colleague
@MaryLawlorhrds
and all the work she does every day to protect and defend HRDs around the world.
“For feminists … those who have advocated for a highly selective WPS agenda fixated on sexual violence & who have declined to speak out or act upon the totality of violence experienced by women in war, time is up, & that double standard is fully exposed”.
#Afghanistan
The fact that the HRC did not create a fact-finding or oversight mechanism is their failure. However,
@UN_SPExperts
will not be quiet. We know exactly why this mechanism is needed, so too do the people of Afghanistan. Which States will step up to remedy the deficit?
From my excellent and ever thoughtful colleague Richard Painter at
@UofMNLawSchool
. Destroying Federal Documents During a Presidential Transition Is a Federal Crime via
@just_security
All eyes are on the
@UN_HRC
this week. Emergency session on Afghanistan. Bold, decisive action on human rights is needed to protect those most vulnerable in Afghanistan.
@UN_SPExperts
have given a roadmap on what is needed. Will the Council listen?
Deeply saddened by the loss of my friend, colleague, co-author & mensch who made so many things possible since I joined the
@UofMNLawSchool
. David Weissbrodt was a human rights giant. A steely, passionate, humble & determined optimist who made all our lives better. We miss him.
If you emerge from a global pandemic in a world that is dominated by dictatorial authoritarian regime types and democracies that are fundamentally compromised, then we haven't just lost the battle against a virus, we have actually lost a bigger and more profound battle.
A grim outcome. A 15 year old girl, groomed online & brought to Syria as a minor. Pregnant with three children before the age of 18, & lost all three in the tortuous conditions of NE Syria. Shamima Begum loses final UK court bid over citizenship - BBC News
My report to
#HRC46
on the effects of counter-terrorism law and practice on women, girls and families is now available in all UN languages. If we take gender mainstreaming in
#CT
seriously we have address
#CT
negative effects on women & girls.
Always a pleasure for the mandate to be welcomed by the H.E. Amb. Byrne Nason
@irishmissionun
whose leadership on human rights continues to drive so many important dialogues.
#UNGA76
🇺🇳🇮🇪
The best part of this SRCT & HR role has been working with my incredible team of lawyers and human rights advocates. A snapshot of the amazing SRCT & HR team.
The
@UN_HRC
will hold a special session on the profoundly distributing situation in
#Afghanistan
tomorrow.
Eyes are on Geneva.
The zero draft of the Resolution is profoundly disappointing.
I welcome the completion of my technical visit to the
#US
and U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay, affirming the rights of victims of terrorism & the rights of victims of counter-terrorism.
Find out more here: .
Ireland's bid for the Security Council is successful. The voice of a small island nation familiar with conflict, long and proud history of peacekeeping and a deep commitment to multilateralism. Lá maith don domhain.
@dfatirl
#IrelandUNSC
The Human Rights Council is not living up to its obligation to act in the face of massive human rights violations, a humanitarian catastrophe, the need for protection, and the requirement to prevent impunity for serious violations of international law.
#Candobetter
#SC
the time is now, if WPS agenda means anything it means protecting women's rights in
#Afghanistan
now and not giving annual anniversary speeches that mean nothing for
#WPS
1325. Let us be clear, the Taliban are a listed terrorist organization. They will destroy women's rights
There is no inevitability to war crimes & crimes against humanity in
#Afghanistan
. SPB Experts said unequivocally today action is necessary
OHCHR | Afghanistan: UN experts urge swift global action to protect human rights and prevent ‘civilian slaughter’
The UNSC rightly addressed the prevention of terrorism in
#Afghanistan
(Aug. 27). What needs to be said in the same breath is that protecting
#humanrights
, enabling people to live dignified lives is the best proven way to prevent the conditions that produce terrorism.
A meaningful, relevant and operable statement is needed from the
@UN_HRC
this week of Afghanistan. Anything less is a green light on impunity for serious violations of IL which may include war crimes and crimes against humanity.
@UN_SPExperts
@MaryLawlorhrds
@NilsMelzer
You know you have had a good day/week/semester when your human rights students 1)Bring you flowers 2) Get you a book you have wanted to read for a plane ride and 3) Say thank you in a lovely way
@UofMNLawSchool
@UofMHRC
A warm thank you to
@PakistanUN_NY
and H.E. Amb. Akram
@PakistanPR_UN
for the warm welcome and discussion on human rights and rule of law in countering terrorism.
Adding my congratulations to the appointment of my friend & colleague Professor Ben Saul as incoming SR CT & HR. He brings compassion, rigour & deep commitment to human rights to this role. A couple of hard weeks of work to finish out this mandate and I look forward to Nov 2.
#HRC54
| The
@UN
Human Rights Council has appointed Mr. Ben Saul of Australia as the new Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
When I think about gendering CT work,I start with the SRCT & HR team & the work as an all female group of lawyers & human rights advocates, situated in the masculinity of this field, working on issues where the voices of women are muted, absent or ignored. Doing gender every day.
An extraordinary report from
#AmnestyInternational
on Syria: Mass death, torture & other violations against people detained in aftermath of Islamic State defeat – confirms & extends what SRCT & HR found during 2023 technical visit. Urgent action needed.
Turning the Page: A Biden Presidency and the Role for Us via
@just_security
-- The Just Security Editorial team are an extraordinary group and have done extraordinary service in the past 4 years. We will stay diligent and vigilant in the years ahead.
The Special Rapporteur on HR and CT team wraps up another busy year. Thanks to all of you who have worked with us and supported the work on ensuring the promotion of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism.
A non-official picture of desert beauty to remind us of the tenacity of things even in the harshest of conditions, a little like advancing human rights in the world today.
My Report to
@UNHumanRights
HR Council addresses serious abuse of CT, CVE & PVE laws and practice by States when countering terrorism. Stifling NGO's & CSO is neither human rights complaint nor effective counter-terrorism policy. Time for global oversight of global CT practice.
Govs rushing to legislate
#emergencypowers
in
#COVID
crisis should: include meaningful sunset clauses; fulsome non-discrimination clauses; meaningful oversight of exceptional powers; where possible legislative authorisation & ensure that the powers given are narrowly tailored.
📢Children who have survived conflict should never be considered security threats or stigmatised on account of their birth. Period.
☑️ Reintegration should be the primary objective for all children emerging from such traumatizing environments.
#UNGA76
#CAAC
🇺🇳
In case you missed it, this is the best conversation out there on the
#ICJ
decision, and has three of my favorite people talking
@yuvalshany1
@oonahathaway
@AdHaque110
——ICJ Provisional Measures in South Africa v. Israel
UN Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights very glad to visit Mali and
@UN_MINUSMA
this week. Human Rights training, good conversations and lots of exchange about peacekeeping, stabilization, human rights and counter-terrorism.
Human Rights Salon at the
@UMNews
. A quiet space (my back yard) where human rights faculty meet to talk about rights, gender, international issues, research and give solidarity & friendship to those of us working on human rights issues.
“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.”
Loose translation of commentary on portion of the Pirke Avot (cf)commentary on Micah6:8
We should not be marking 20 years for detention facility in which men have been arbitrarily detained, tortured and have had no meaningful remedy. Time to close this detention facility, its very existence stands as signal for impunity and lack of accountability.
A group of independent
#humanrights
experts appointed by the
@UN
🇺🇳 Human Rights Council has condemned the continued operation of the
#Guant
ánamo Bay detention facility as a site of “unparalleled notoriety”.
Via
@UN_News_Centre
The world has learnt some very hard lessons about the misuse of counter-terrorism, (violent) extremism legislation & powers in the past two decades. Let us not repeat the same mistakes by rushing to legislate exceptionality for
#COVID19
.
@UN_SPExperts
@hrw
@ICNLAlliance
A salute to the artists. What an extraordinary privilege to see the work of six Guantanamo artists exhibited in the United States and hear from three artists at this symposium.
#art
#hope
#acknowledgement
#Accountability
and
#Reparations
. The art belongs to the artists.
I look forward to
#US
technical visit including Guantanamo detention facility, former detainees & meeting w/ victims of terrorism in the 3 months ahead. Meeting detainees, gov. representatives, military & civilian personnel, military commissions personnel & defence lawyers
@UN
UN Special Rapporteur on counterterrorism
@NiAolainF
will conduct a technical visit to the
#US
, including the
#Guantanamo
detention center from 6-14 February.
👉
An important joint statement is issued today by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights.
Children in Northeast Syria must be urgently repatriated: UN experts
I was a law student @ QUB when Pat Finucane was murdered in 1989. Pat’s murder as a lawyer, defending the rule of law shaped all human rights lawyers of my generation in NI. A long journey for justice & law for his family & the NI HR community.
The scale of emergency law proposals across the globe suggest that the opportunities to expand executive, police and military powers are being taken up w/ insufficient regard to the rule of law & human rights. Imagine what these powers look like repurposed applied after
#COVID19
Glad to join this group of eminent lawyers to reflect on international
law and Gaza . Particularly glad to finally write an article with Prof Karen Engle on the forum shopping, gender and soft v. hard law.
The bottom lines hold: Security Council must act, humanitarian access must be defended, the vulnerable must be protected, the HRC must meet.
OHCHR | Afghanistan: UN experts urge swift global action to protect human rights and prevent ‘civilian slaughter’
The Special Rapporteur Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights has a new report addressing citizenship stripping in North-East Syria and the range of human rights concerns it involves. Read it here:
Outrage is necessary to act upon the de facto culling, separation, & warehousing of adolescent boys from their mothers. This is an abhorrent practice inconsistent with the dignity of the child.
Gendering the Boy Child in the Context of Counterterrorism:
"Across the world, we see a sustained practice of abusing counterterrorism language and laws to target, silence, and harm civil society and human rights defenders."
Abusive “Counterterrorism” Crackdowns Choke Independent Civil Society in the Middle East
How do we pivot away from the securtization of peace, including by counter-terrorism?
✅ Invest politically and financially in people-centered and prevention approaches!
While this report identifies deep tensions, it also offers concrete ways forward!
Report: A/77/345
An extraordinary couple of days in Lviv Ukraine marking the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights & the Genocide Convention. 75 international lawyers from
@asilorg
& 75 from the Ukrainian Association of International Law upholding IL.
#ASILLviv
If any case speaks to the blatant misuse of CT law—it is this. A world renowned writer charged w/ terrorism for expressing views on misuse of CT. Enough of it. Author Arundhati Roy set to be tried under anti-terror law for Kashmir comments - India Today
My new Report to the United Nations General Assembly addresses the effect of thematic UNSCRs on protecting human rights and addresses the role of Security Council as super-legislator
@just_security
@UN
@UNHumanRights
"Thirty men remain in custody ... in Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. Sixteen of those detainees have finally been cleared for release; ... no longer subject to criminal charges or considered a potential danger to the [US] and yet they still remain behind bars"
The track record on states of emergency demonstrates two things 1 Governments consistently overreach to use powers not strictly necessary by the exigency faced 2)That the powers remain indefinitely & are used for other purposes with severe human rights consequences.
@UN_SPExperts
"It is inconceivable for any country, including Canada, to leave its vulnerable children in these camps for a day longer than they should be," said Fionnuala Ní Aoláin in an interview airing Saturday on CBC's The House.
This is mandatory reading for those following the situation in Al Hol & Roj camps in NE Syria. A much needed assessment of the medical situation in the camps, the complexity of the lives that brought people there, & lives of infinite arbitrary detention.
Thinking of Niall Murphy extraordinary lawyer and defender of human rights
@KRWLaw
batting to survive Covid-19 in Belfast. Beidh laethanta níos fearr romhainn uilig. Ag smaoithneamh ort agus do chlann inniú.
The Repeal of the the 8th Amendment is announced. A vote for tolerance, compassion, and for women's bodily autonomy. So proud to be an Irish woman today ... and deeply grateful to all those who persisted to get us here.
An utterly avoidable tragedy for the 700 young boys held in a prison they should not be in. The nomenclature used by States of "rehabilitation" for maintaining arbitrary detention and holding children in inhumane conditions deserves deep skepticism.
Thanks to
@QUBelfast
for being the University that nurtured and sustained my human rights passions and commitments as a young lawyer and now as Professor
@qubschooloflaw
Another reminder about the secondary epidemic we are facing, the lockdown on human rights and fundamental freedoms not aimed at health but focused on cementing the grip of authoritarianism
Happy Human Rights Day from Ukraine 🇺🇦 from
@just_security
editors.
@oonahathaway
and
@bechamilton
& I joined the ASIL trip to Lviv to mark the 75th anniversaries of UDHR & Genocide Convention.
75 international lawyers from
@asilorg
& 75 from the Ukrainian Association of IL.
Taken me a long time ( too long? ) as a feminist scholar & policy maker to realise that only when we include men & boys in gender conversations will things change.
Gendering the Boy Child in the Context of CT: The Situation of Boys in Northeast Syria
Acknowledging International Women's Day from the mandate of the Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights. Gendering counter-terrorism every day.
As SR HRCT, I issued multiple country reports today. Sri Lanka, Tunisia, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, France and Belgium A/HRC/40/52, A/HRC/40/52/Add.1,A/HRC/40/52/Add.2, A/HRC/40/53/Add.3,A/HRC/40/53/Add.4, A/HRC/40/53/Add.5,A/HRC/40/53/Add.6,