African Politics and International Relations
Posted in Africa Notes, African Politics, International Law on Apr 26th, 2012
The Special Court of Sierra Leone found Charles Taylor Guilty. Here is the summary of the judgment. As it states, he was found guilty of aiding and abetting the commission of 11 crimes, including terrorism, slavery, rape, and the use of child soldiers. As a number of observers have noted, the guilty verdict falls short [...]
Posted in Africa Notes, African Politics, International Law, International Organizations, IPE on Apr 25th, 2012
The WTO and Sustainable Development Lesotho Ambassador Mothae Maruping is the current chair of the WTO’s Committee on Trade and Development. ICTSD has a nice report of their recent meeting and its focus on sustainable development. One thought is how to integrate the WTO’s Aid for Trade program with the goal of developing a green [...]
Posted in Course Notes, Environmental Politics, International Law on Apr 25th, 2012
My students in both classes have been focusing on climate change governance this week. One of the key themes that emerges is the question of equity. Does fairness matter here? (A question I won’t directly address because it is a take-home exam question!). What are the politics of equity and how does that translate into [...]
Posted in International Law, Noted on Apr 18th, 2012
China has a long history of disputes with other nations regarding their sovereignty over islands. Japan and China are currently at odds over some islands in the East China Sea (owned by a private Japanese individual). Vietnam recently sent six Buddhist monks to lay claim to the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea. And [...]
Posted in African Politics, Environmental Politics, International Law on Apr 18th, 2012
Earth Day is this Sunday and in both of my classes we are discussing the politics and international law of climate change this week and next. So I thought it might be a good opportunity to examine the recent news. Fragmented Global Governance and Climate Change A quick look at Reuter’s Diary on the Global [...]
Posted in Africa Notes, Course Notes, International Law on Mar 20th, 2012
Do African politicians have a reason to support gay rights? A recent conversation with some colleagues and the discovery of a post about “Gay Relief” on Ramblings of a Procastinator in Accra got me thinking again about the politics of homosexuality in Africa. In the blog post, Abena Serwaa writes: Contrary to what most people [...]
Posted in Economic Development, International Law, Noted on Mar 8th, 2012
While I “celebrate” International Women’s Day with a lunch and a talk by that famous defender of women’s rights, Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, I thought it might be worth taking a moment to think about the broader picture. (Time: “Justice Scalia Mouths Off On Sex Discrimination“) What does this day mean in the developing [...]
Posted in Course Notes, International Law on Feb 29th, 2012
We are also discussing universal jurisdiction this week, albeit briefly. At Erga Omnes there is an interesting post about Yemen’s amnesty law that is intended to grant President Saleh immunity for any crimes he may be complicit in. This issue underscores the tension between the objectives of peace and stability (giving a President a way [...]
Posted in Africa Notes, Course Notes, International Law on Feb 29th, 2012
As I mentioned in class on Monday, the Supreme Court is hearing arguments this week on two cases Kiobel v. Royal Dutch Petroleum and Mohamad v. Palestinian Authority. These cases concern the Alien Tort Statute, an almost-forgotten law that allows foreigners who violate serious international legal rules and norms to be held accountable in the [...]
Posted in International Law on Feb 24th, 2012
Opinio Juris has had a nice discussion this week on the exact subject we discussed yesterday and will continue to discuss next week: the relationship between international law and US law. The symposium is all online: Opinio Juris/Yale Journal of International Law Symposium: Hathaway, McElroy, and Solow on International at Home Some highlights: 1. This [...]
Office Hours:
International Law Course