Heartland Initiative, Inc. ’s Post

Out Now: From Gaza to Ukraine, every day we see headlines filled with IHL buzzwords. But is this heightened awareness paired with the understanding that humanitarian law is designed to limit the suffering caused by war rather than to eliminate it completely? We sat down with Janina Dill to understand how IHL’s morality really works👇 Link in bio❕/ [https://lnkd.in/gjVbfySF] Janet H. Anderson Stephanie van den Berg The Hague Humanity Hub Janina Dill University of Oxford #AsymmetricalHaircuts #podcast #pod #internationallaw #internationaljustice #thehague #warcrimes #reporting #IHL #Gaza #Ukraine

This podcast continues to disappoint with the shallow level of legal analysis and the odd insistence that international justice requires a bias against certain states (as I document in excruciating detail in the comments). Justice can only be based on impartial judgement and painstaking factual accuracy. The continuing failure of Janet H. Anderson and Stephanie van den Berg, as well as the failure of Janina Dill from the University of Oxford here in particular, to live up to these basic standards only serves to undermine the cause of international justice in which they profess to believe. I detail many of the clear factual and legal mistatements in the comments but, most importantly, Janina Dill from the University of Oxford makes the overtly biased statement (30:30) – “the endorsement of international law and preference for legal compliance [by Israelis] wasn’t [sic] really as strong in Israel as other democratic societies.” I will hold off from calling this out as antisemitic, but it is clearly factually incorrect. In the immediate nine month period prior to October 7, close to half of Israel came out to demonstrate in favor of the Israeli Supreme Court retaining its broad powers of judicial review. Indeed, in the course of these demonstrations, the argument was frequently made that the court must retain such judicial powers in order to ensure government compliance with international law. I am unaware of any other country *ever* in which such a broad swath of the public repeatedly demonstrated on such an abstract legal issue. On this matter, the interviewee demonstrates both her ignorance of, as well as a clear bias against, Israeli society. This is unfortunate. You cannot criticize a society that you know so little about. More importantly, I am at loss to explain how Professor Dill believes that she can arbiter matters of international law while at the same time espousing such obviously prejudicial statements. There are numerous other casual misstatements in this podcast, but the inaccuracy of the assertions is less important than the clear inability of this podcast to present both sides of an issue. It should be uncontroversial (to use a favorite word of Janina Dill) that international justice demands impartial analysis of the facts, and the fact that this podcast cannot live up to that elementary standard may just expose the rotten foundations of the endeavor of international justice as a whole. #interntaionaljustice #univeristyofoxford The Hague Humanity Hub

This introduction to International Humanitarian Law in the context of the Gaza conflict by Janina Dill of University of Oxford, on the Asymmetrical Haircuts international justice podcast, is such a clear, precise, and accurate explanation of the law and its moral foundations, as well as an eloquent and compelling case for why it is so crucially important. For the non-experts, this is a fantastic introduction. https://lnkd.in/dWJ44Vcz

🎧New week, new podcast! In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes ECFR senior policy fellow Anthony Dworkin to discuss the role of international law and justice in an increasingly fragmented world. What are the limits of international law? Is there any merit in accusations of Western double standards? And what role can international law play when it comes to justice in Ukraine, Gaza, and other places around the world? https://lnkd.in/dYx6bNqi

ICYMI 🎯 Last week we dropped a special episode — a deep dive into Claims Commissions w/ Professor Dr. Chiara Giorgetti! These processes don't get a lot of coverage so we wanted to understand what they are and what it all means for Ukraine reparations👇 https://lnkd.in/evFbmyAn Janet H. Anderson, Stephanie van den Berg, Professor Dr. Chiara Giorgetti, University of Richmond School of Law & Register of Damage Caused by the Aggression of the Russian Federation Against Ukraine (RD4U) #AsymmetricalHaircuts #podcast #pod #internationallaw #internationaljustice #thehague #warcrimes #reporting #Russia #Ukraine #claims

OUT NOW! Are the Geneva Conventions still fit for purpose? Ratified 75 years ago in the aftermath of WWII’s horrors, these treaties were designed to protect those caught up in conflict. But today’s battlefields are vastly different. Do the Conventions still hold up in this modern era of war? Join us as we put the Geneva Conventions on trial with our friends at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights. Listen here: https://lnkd.in/eMeg3Nx8 With Janet H. Anderson, Stephanie van den Berg, Andrew Clapham & Gloria Gaggioli.   #AsymmetricalHaircuts #podcast #pod #internationallaw #internationaljustice #thehague #warcrimes #reporting #Geneva #Genevaconventions

It is easy to feel disillusionment with IHL under the circumstances.

A rare glimpse of blue sky on an otherwise cold and rainy visit to Geneva last week for the UPR Info Pre-sessions for Egypt and Iran. The Law Society submitted reports for the UPR of both countries, jointly with Lawyers for Lawyers (L4L) and others, and last week we met with permanent missions and UN colleagues to raise our concerns about the systemic persecution of lawyers, lack of independence of the judiciary and fair trial guarantees. We hope the 48th session of the UPR in January will see robust reviews of Egypt and Iran, and strong recommendations for meaningful action to improve the independence of the legal profession as a cornerstone of the rule of law and human rights. Read our press release on Iran: https://lnkd.in/ecJjUjHa And our UPR reports for both countries: https://lnkd.in/eQ6nkCga

Tune in to my live interview on Radio Pakistan, where I discuss World Humanitarian Day and the relevant legal frameworks. In Parts 1 and 2, I explore the proactive role of legal professionals in championing public interest petitions that address critical human rights issues in our society. I also underscore the pivotal role of the judiciary in advancing climate justice, which I believe is the most pressing and urgent challenge facing Pakistan today. To create a better future, we must all embrace the spirit of humanitarianism. #worldhumanitarianday #humanity #climatejustice HTTPS//:

We’re excited to share our latest Policy Planning Paper, created in collaboration with Covington & Burling LLP. This in-depth analysis delves into the critical factors surrounding the peace negotiations in North Ethiopia, offering valuable insights into the Pretoria Agreement between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). Our analysis covers: 🔍 The Conflict’s Complex Origins: Understanding the multifaceted context that led to the war. 🕊️ The Negotiation Process: Exploring how the negotiations unfolded and what could have been done differently to foster a more inclusive and sustainable peace. We address the exclusion of key stakeholders like Eritrea and Amhara, whose involvement in the conflict was significant but were notably absent from the discussions. 📜 The Pretoria Agreement: A deep dive into its substantive provisions, highlighting areas for improvement, such as enhancing the legal enforceability of the agreement and tackling unresolved issues like combatant disarmament, civilian protection, and transitional justice. This memorandum aims to illuminate pathways for future peace negotiations in North Ethiopia, emphasizing the importance of inclusivity and legal rigor in achieving a durable peace. It’s an essential resource for stakeholders committed to strengthening future peace efforts in the region. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/eGRjm69P   Special thanks to: Volodymyr Shkilevych, Clark Orr, Myriam Lace, Patrick O'Grady from Covington and BERHANEMESKEL NEGA, Ryan Westlake, Greta Ramelli, Katie Hetherington, Cailan Cumming, and Nicole Carle from PILPG for your great work on this! -Founder, Dr. Paul R. Williams