Ola Engdahl is appointed as a delegate to the "Folkrätts- och nedrustningsdelegation"

Ola Engdahl has been appointed delegate to the newly re-established Folkrätts- och nedrustningsdelegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström. The delegation will  give suggestions on Swedish positions and initiatives on questions related primarily to international humanitarian law and disarmament.  Other delegates include the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, the Secretary-Generals of the Swedish Red Cross and Doctors without Borders.

Further information can be found here.

/ Ola

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Post summer update

The Folkrättscentrum is back after the summer vacation! This is our first post after the break, which coincides with the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances. Whilst we've been away, here's a few things that happened that might be of interest:

• The Security Council passed a resolution establishing for one year a Joint Investigative Mechanism of the United Nations and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), which would identify “to the greatest extent feasible” individuals, entities, groups or Governments perpetrating, organizing, sponsoring or otherwise involved in the use of chemicals as weapons in Syria.
• In related news, UNESCO’sDirector-General Irina Bokova condemned the destruction of the temple of Palmyra is a war crime. The Security Council was also briefed on the use of sexual violence in the conflicts in Iraq and Syria (background to which can be found here).
• The Swedish government have published a new strategy on terrorism. 
• A peace accord has been signed in South Sudan. There have been reports that violence continues after the ceasefire, however.
• The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights published a report on impunity and accountability in Darfur for 2014 based on information received from the African Union-UN Hybrid Operation in Darfur 
• Controversies and fresh allegations continue regarding accusations of sexual abuse by members of the UN peace mission in the Central African Republic. The Security Council had earlier in the month released a press statement on the sexual exploitation and abuse in CAR.
• Serbia and Kosovo signed agreements furthering the normalisation of relations on energy, telecoms,establishment of the Association/Community of Serb majority municipalities and the Freedom of Movement/Mitrovica Bridge. 

/ Sally

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Watch the seminar "Gråzonen - normer för fred och krig i en ny säkerhetspolitisk situation i Europa"

As previously announced, the International Law Centre's Marika Ericson participated at Almedalen 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"). The panel discussed hybrid operations, the applicable framework and what capabilities Sweden has to address the challenges presented by these operations.

Click below to watch the seminar (in Swedish).

/Marika

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Dr Ola Engdahl participated in the governmental inquiry "Criminal Law Provisions to Prevent Terrorism Travels"

Dr. Ola Engdahl, Associate Professor at the International Law Centre, has participated as an expert in international law in the governmental inquiry Straffrättsliga åtgärder mot terrorismresor ("criminal law provisions to prevent terrorism travels").  The inquiry handed its report to the Department of Justice on 17 June 2015. 

The task of the inquiry was to analyse if Sweden lives up to its obligations under United Nations Security Council Resolution 2178 (2014) to have in place criminal law provisions to prevent and combat terrorism. The inquiry also looked at determining whether Swedish criminal law met the obligations set out by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in combatting and preventing the financing of terrorism. 

The inquiry recommended, among other things, a new penal provision for terrorist travel in rekryteringslagen ("the Recruitment Act"). Under the new provision, it will be possible to sentence individuals who travel to a State other than their State of nationality with the intention of committing or preparing particularly serious crime or providing or receiving training for particular criminal activity, which includes terrorist offences. In other words, the travel with such intentions will become punishable. The inquiry also recommended that it will be punishable to receive terrorist training.  

The inquiry has received new directives from the Swedish government. Its tasks now include investigating the needs for further criminalisation to prevent and combat persons participating in armed conflicts in another State within the framework of a terrorist organisation. The findings shall be reported 23 June 2016.

/Ola

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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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Controversy at UN over alleged sexual abuse by peacekeepers in CAR

The controversy over the leaked United Nations report detailing sexual abuse of children committed by French troops at the beginning of the MINUSCA mission in Central African Republic has grown since the story hit the headlines on Wednesday with the whistleblower being suspended and placed under investigation by the UN Office for Internal Oversight Services.

The whistleblower is a Swedish citizen. The Swedish government has issued a press statement on the matter.

Separately, the French authorities, who have jurisdiction to prosecute crimes committed by their troops in the mission, confirmed they are investigating 13 soldiers in connected with the allegations. According to reports on The Guardian, allegations that Chadian soldiers were also involved in the abuse are included in the leaked report.

/ Sally

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Finland fires depth charges at suspected submarine

On 28 April Finland's military fired depth charges as a warning against a suspected submarine in waters near Helsinki.

This comes amid heightened tension in the area and follows a suspected submarine in Swedish waters in October 2014.

On 20 April Swedish press ran a story debating the legal framework for using armed force against submerged submarines during peace.

/ Sally

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New bill on Swedish defence 2016-2020

On 24 April 2015 the Swedish Government presented its bill on the Swedish defence for the years 2016-2020. Emphasising the deteriorating security situation in Europe, the Government proposed a reinforcement of the defence economy with 10,2 billion Swedish crowns. It proposes amongst other things the establishment of a new battle group on the island Gotland, the reinstitution of the planning for a civil-military defence and a strengthening of the anti-submarine warfare capability.

You can download the proposal here. 

/Pontus

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