Wednesday 24 June 2015

Report from the High-Level Independent Panel on UN Peacekeeping Operations

On 16 June 2015 the High-Level Independent Panel on United Nations Peace Operations presented its report to the UN Secretary General. The Panel was established by the Secretary General in October 2014 to make a comprehensive assessment of the state of UN peace operations today, and the emerging needs of the future. The report marks an important step in the review and reform of peace operations, coming 15 years after the Brahimi Report.

Ian Martin, a member of the High-Level Independent Panel, was the key note speaker at an event hosted by the United Nations Association of Sweden and the Swedish National Defence College’s International Law Centre on 2 February 2015 entitled "United Nations Peace Operations - Global Prospects and Local Challenges".

A copy of the report presented to the Secretary General is available here. A press release is available here.

/ Ola
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Monday 22 June 2015

Report from UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict published

On 22 June 2015 the UN Independent Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict published its findings. The Commission of Inquiry was established by the Human Rights Council on 23 July 2014 in its resolution S-21/1 to "investigate all violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, particularly in the occupied Gaza Strip, in the context of the military operations conducted since 13 June 2014, whether before, during or after, to establish the facts and circumstances of such violations and of the crimes perpetrated and to identify those responsible, to make recommendations, in particular on accountability measures, all with a view to avoiding and ending impunity and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable, and on ways and means to protect civilians against any further assaults, and to report to the Council at its twenty-eighth session."

The report can be downloaded here. Further information and documents relating to the Commission of Inquiry can be found here.

/ Sally
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Friday 5 June 2015

The International Law Centre's Jann Kleffner lectured at the University of Pretoria.

On May 21 and 22, Professor Jann Kleffer of the International Law Centre gave lectures on the topics "Organized Armed Groups under LOAC and IHRL" and "Implementation and Enforcement of LOAC and IHRL" in the postgraduate programme LLM "International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights in Military Operations" at the University of Pretoria.

The programme is the result of a three year-long (2011-2013) SIDA sponsored collaboration between the International Law Centre and the Institute for International and Comparative Law in Africa (ICLA) at the University of Pretoria.

/Jann
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The International Law Centre's Marika Ericson participates at Almedalen

The International Law Centre's Marika Ericson will participate as an expert at the seminar "Gråzonen - normer för fred och krig i en ny säkerhetspolitisk situation i Europa" ("The grey zone - norms for peace and conflict in a new security policy situation in Europe") at Almedalen. The panel will discuss what capabilities Sweden has to address the challenges presented by hybrid operations, and the applicable legal framework.

The seminar is arranged by the Swedish Defence University (SEDU), and will be held on 2 July 2015 at 10.30 - 11.15. Other experts from SEDU will participate, and Annika Nordgren Christensen will be the moderator.
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Swedish MoD presents new report on protective emblems in LOAC

During a hearing at the Swedish Ministry of Defence (MoD) on 27 May 2015 Dick Clomén from the Swedish Red Cross and Liv Bernitz from Swedish Ministry of Justice presented a report on the history of the protective emblems in law of armed conflict (LOAC) and the transformation of Additional Protocol III to the Geneva Conventions into Swedish Law.

The report is the most recent in a series of reports from the Swedish Total Defence Council for International Humanitarian Law (Totalförsvarets folkrättsråd), a body under the Swedish MoD which monitors, coordinate and develops LOAC for the Swedish defence agencies.

The Swedish proposal can be found here.


/Pontus
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Monday 1 June 2015

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urges states to investigate human rights violations by international forces in the CAR

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, issued a press release on Saturday 30 May 2015 stating that he had urged several states to intensify their efforts to investigate allegations that their forces in CAR may have committed very serious violations. These violations included killing civilians, summary executions, abductions and sexual exploitation of local women.

The UN High Commissioner said: “In the wake of the revelations of alleged serious sexual abuse of children, currently under investigation by the French authorities, my Office has taken a deeper look into these issues and the extent of the follow-up into alleged serious violations by soldiers belonging to several other international contingents operating under the MISCA umbrella in 2014- Some of these incidents have been at least partly investigated, and some States have apparently sanctioned some of the soldiers involved, but the fact that a number of foreign contingents may have been implicated is in itself a matter of enormous concern.”

Several incidents involving excessive use of force, enforced disappearances and sexual exploitation and violence were investigated by UN human rights officers on the ground and the International Commission of Inquiry on the Central African Republic. The findings were published in a report in December 2014. Although the report has resulted in some preliminary actions by states, the UN High Commissioner said that it is not sufficient, and the punishment must fit the crime. “There must be accountability for serious crimes, no matter who commits them.”
  

According to the UN High Commissioner the forces involved in these incidents were not operating under the UN flag; instead they were international contingents operating under the MISCA (Mission internationale de soutien à la Centrafrique  sous conduit, The African Union peacekeeping mission to the Central African Republic). 

/Jann
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