Blog content produced by the authors is the opinion of the authors and is not representative of the opinions of the organisation nor that of its team or associated organisations unless otherwise noted.
Secessionist voices from Republika Srpska
The internationally brokered Dayton peace agreement that governs Bosnia and Herzegovina is no longer fit for purpose – the country cannot be reconciled until an honest interrogation of its constitution and the institutions therein are radically reformed.
Elections in Nigeria: A Case of Human Rights Breaches
Various electoral malpractices have taken place in Nigeria at different times which has made it difficult to conduct a free and fair election. The importance of 2023 elections will mark the beginning of a new dispensation in Nigeria which cannot be overemphasised.
Algeria as an Energy Power in a New International System
The gas shortage in the EU presents a unique opportunity for Algeria to expand its presence and consolidate its position as the most reliable gas supplier, taking advantage of its geographical proximity to Europe.
COP27: Progress or Stagnation?
COP27 has raised important points, unprecedented to previous COP meetings, however, weak language in the Sharm El-Sheikh Implementation Plan demonstrates a number of short-comings in combating climate change.
Central Asia in 2023: 10 Things to Watch for
Our Central Asia Programme team distils 10 key issues that may shape Central Asia in 2023
Hackers v. NATO: Will A ‘Significant’ Cyber Attack Trigger Article 5?
The Alliance has constantly demanded to know what a triggering cyber-attack would consist of but since the conflict in Ukraine, this demand has only grown further.
The 2022 CHMR-AP: Revolutionising Civilian Harm Mitigation Strategy?
After decades of global criticism and outcry about the U.S. Department of Defence’s lack of strategy on civilian harm and casualty mitigation and accountability, the Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response Action Plan has the potential to revolutionise DoD’s behaviour toward civilian harm in and after conflict.
Tracking Russian Migrants in Central Asia
Since the war in Ukraine began in February, Central Asia and the Caucasus have become attractive destinations for Russians.
The Iranian Girls Are Not Alright: The Enforcement of Hijab Law and Human Rights Violations
Human Rights Violations Escalate for Iranian Women and Girls as the Country Violently Enforces the Mandatory Hijab Law.
Abortion Is a Right: Pursuing International Remedies for U.S. Human Rights Law Violations
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court decision and U.S. states regression on abortion access and criminalisation, international human rights law will be a crucial tool in regaining access to essential healthcare in the U.S.
In Conversation with Moti Kahana: Discussing the Israeli Philanthropist’s Background and His Significant Humanitarian Work During the Syrian Civil War
Moti Kahana is an Israeli native, who moved to the United States in 1991 to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from the University of Arizona. Until 2009 he was a businessman in the automotive field when he decided to sell his own company and pursue humanitarian work on a global scale ranging from the United States, Syria and today, Ukraine.
The First Climate Case Before the European Court of Human Rights
The European Court of Human Rights now has the opportunity to shape climate human rights in Europe – as well as around the world.
Police Brutality: Shedding Light on the Prevalence of Illegality within the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in Nigeria
So far, no one has been held accountable for the numerous crimes perpetrated by members of the now disbanded SARS unit.
The French Proposal and Identity in North Macedonia: Perspectives from Moderates in Skopje and Ohrid
Ordinary (north) Macedonians are concerned about the revised French proposal’s potential ramifications on their identity.
Geopolitics and Narrative at the UNSC’s 11 May Bosnia and Herzegovina Meeting
The UNSC’s 11 May Bosnia and Herzegovina meeting saw the emergence of three key international positions relating to the international community’s approach towards resolving growing instability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Landmark Judgment in Koblenz Higher Court Conviction: Lesson Learned in the Case of Syrian Asylee Found Guilty of International Crimes
Germany has proven itself to be one of the leading countries when it comes to upholding justice against the Assad regime for the Syrian conflict.
Examining the Russian Attack Against Ukraine Through the Lens of International Law
The Russian assault against Ukraine is not only a manifest violation of the prohibition on the use of force, a cornerstone of the international legal order set up in the aftermath of World War II, but also a flagrant crime against peace that facilitates the commission of other international crimes, such as the perpetration of war crimes.
The Burden of Proof at the International Criminal Court: Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé Acquittal upon Motion of No Case to Answer
Laurent Gbagbo and Charles Blé Goudé were two individuals that the United Nations Security Council and the international community believe responsible for the Cote d’Ivoire 2010-2011 crisis, at least before their cases entered the trial stage.
Children’s Protection During Armed Conflict and the Criminal Responsibility of Child Soldiers
The case of child soldiers is a clear example of role reversals, where victims become perpetrators. In many cases, these children start as victims of war crimes and end up becoming offenders of similar crimes to the ones they suffered before.
Accounting for ‘Victims who Victimize’ in International Criminal Justice: Is Restorative Justice the Way Forward?
On one hand restorative justice affirms that a perpetrator’s past does not justify future conduct, however, on the other it goes a step further than punitive justice.
The Use of Force and Human Rights in Social Protest: A Look at the Jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights
The use of force carried out by law enforcement agencies in the context of protests in Latin America is continuously restricting peaceful demonstrations, criminalizing participants and threatening the fundamental values of democratic states.
Russia Negotiations: A Window of Opportunity for a Nuclear Weapon Free Zone in Eastern Europe
Proponents of nuclear weapons disarmament should use the Russian negotiations to further the humanitarian push for arms control, leading to a nuclear weapon free zone in eastern Europe.
Democracy Should Be Restored In Hungary While There Is Still Time and Capacity
European Union and Hungary have been at odds for years over issues ranging from judicial independence to media freedom, LGBTIQ+ affairs and refugee rights.
Ethiopia: Sexual Violence as a War Crime
Women and girls in Ethiopia have been the predominant target of sexual assaults and SGBV resulting in severe harm to their physical and psychological integrity.
Saakashvili’s Return to Georgia: Game Changer or a Vain Sacrifice?
The unexpected return and arrest of Georgia’s ex-president and a member of the current Ukrainian government Mikheil Saakashvili and its implications for Georgia’s political future.
The Tyranny of Taliban: Violation of Women’s Rights in Afghanistan
The militant takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban has pushed back women’s rights back to the 1990s.
Tunisian Turmoil: Democracy in Crisis and the Shattering Hopes of The Arab Spring’s Sole Success Story
The Arab Spring revolts gave a glimmer of hope to the people against autocracy and dictatorship in Tunisia, however, this hope has turned into disappointment and disillusionment.
Aftermath of an Economic Crisis: The Rise of Instability in Lebanon
The COVID-19 pandemic has severely constrained Lebanon and its people who were already dealing with the aftershocks of the economic collapse and the consequent countrywide protests.
Is Japan Setting a Devastating Precedent: Fukushima Water Discharge Plan and Gross Violation of Human Rights and International Laws
Japan has sparked a global debate with its recent announcement that it will begin releasing treated radioactive water from the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific Ocean.
The Tigray Crisis: A Genocide in the Making?
Given the recurring pattern of ethnic violence against the Tigrayan population, the risk of mass atrocities amounting to genocide could be imminent.
Loading…
Something went wrong. Please refresh the page and/or try again.
Guide for Blog Contributors
General guidance on the submission of articles
1. The Blog of the Platform for Peace and Humanity welcomes submissions in the following areas:
- human rights law, international humanitarian and criminal law, public international law
- foreign policy, sustainable global peace efforts and regional and international politics
2. Authors shall submit an electronic version of their article in Microsoft Word document format by sending it to blog@peacehumanity.org. All submissions will be peer-reviewed by the editorial board. The peer-review process may take up to one month.
3. Submissions should not be longer than 5000 words. The word count limit is inclusive of footnotes, endnotes and hyperlinks. The articles shall include a 1-2 sentence excerpt and up to 4 keywords.
4. Optionally, authors are invited to attach to their email an image which they wish to include in their blog post, serving as an illustration of the content, and the web location of that image. An image may be taken by the article’s author, or obtained from image search engines such as Google, Flick or Pixabay. The authors shall respect the license and the exact terms of use. Accordingly, the authors shall provide the following information: “Photo by Author/Organisation that owns the image via Source” (e.g. Photo by John Smith via Wikipedia Commons or Photo by International Court of Justice via Flickr.com)
5. The authors shall submit a short BIO of max. 4 sentences.
The main text formatting guidance
6. Title of the submission should have a maximum of 100 characters.
7. The main text shall use a consistent font and styling. Authors are thus entitled to use any font in their submissions.
8. Submissions shall be submitted in (British or American) English. Authors should remain consistent throughout the article.
9. Dates in the text shall appear in the following format: 1 September 2020.
10. Numbers from one to nine shall appear spelt out. Numerals should be used from 10 and above.
11. The use of abbreviations and acronyms is encouraged in both the text body and the footnotes or endnotes, provided the full name is written out the first time it appears in the text and is accompanied by the abbreviation noted in parentheses.
12. Subheadings in the main text shall be in bold.
13. “Double quotation marks” should be used for quotes (verbatim words, phrases, sentences and paragraphs).
14. When finishing the sentence with a quote using “double quotation marks”, the full stop shall be used outside of the quotation mark.
15. Authors are requested to indent quotes with 4 and more sentences in the main text.
Endnotes formatting guidance
16. Submissions shall be submitted with footnotes, endnotes or functional hyperlinks in the main text.
17. When using hyperlinks in the main text to lengthy sources or sources with more than 1 page, the exact location of the reference shall be indicated in the main text (e.g. on page 5 of the judgment, the court ruled that…).
18. Footnotes and endnotes should be numbered using Arabic numbers.
19. Footnotes and endnotes shall end with a full stop.
20. If the same source is cited twice in direct succession, use “Ibid.” instead of repeating the full citation.
21. Latin phrases and phrases such as “see“, “also“, “e.g.“, “Ibid.” shall be in Italic.
22. No citation style is imposed. Footnotes and endnotes shall be internally coherent and follow the same style throughout the entire text (e.g. OSCOLA).
23. An incomplete or illogical citation style may justify refusing or postponing the peer-reviewing process of the submission.
Copyright Notice
24. Authors retain copyright and grant the Platform for Peace and Humanity the right of the first publication.
25. Others are entitled to share the blog post with an acknowledgement of the work’s authorship and citing the author’s initial publication on the blog of the Platform for Peace and Humanity.
26. Authors may enter into separate, additional arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the published submission (e.g. publish the submission in a journal or a book), with the acknowledgement of the initial publication on the blog of the Platform for Peace and Humanity.
27. Authors are permitted and encouraged to share their published blog post after being notified by an email about the publication of their submission on the blog.