Global Solutions In the News

African Union Declaration Against the ICC Not What it Seems (recently published by Foreign Policy in Focus)

dgreenberg — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 18:50:26 +0000

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's eleven day visit to Africa is intended to affirm the Obama administration's commitment to engage the conflict ridden continent. However, a resolution has recently been issued by the African Union (AU) allowing Sudanese President and wanted war criminal Omar al Bashir to travel throughout Africa with impunity. This could easily cause Secretary Clinton to believe that Africa has no interest in holding human rights abusers responsible for their actions. It is important for the Secretary to realize that this resolution is not what it seems, and that there is still hope for human rights and justice in Africa.

IN THE NEWS: GOP ‘Sovereignty Caucus’ Battles Obama on Treaties (Quoting CGS CEO Don Kraus)

ldennett — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 19:07:19 +0000

From the Washington Independent:

IN THE NEWS: US to Take Seat at UN Human Rights Council (Quoting CGS CEO Don Kraus)

amurray — Thu, 28 May 2009 20:39:14 +0000

27 May 2009

The United States has been elected to the United Nations Human Rights Council.

The U.N. Human Rights Council was established three years ago to replace the widely discredited and highly politicized U.N. Human Rights Commission. The resolution passed by the U.N. General Assembly creating the council said the new body would be responsible for promoting universal respect for the protection of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all. In addition, the 47-member council would address human rights violations around the world.

IN THE NEWS: Sudanese rebel voluntarily appears at ICC

along — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:12:43 +0000

Sudanese rebel leader Bahar Idriss Abu Garda has voluntarily appeared at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to face war crime charges committed in Darfur.

Human rights groups such as Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and ICC have all welcomed Abu Garda's presence before the court.

ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said Abu Garda's decision may lead to justice for the victims of the crimes committed in Western Darfur region in Sudan.

IN THE NEWS: Sri Lanka: UN Human Rights Council to discuss plight of IDPs

along — Tue, 26 May 2009 19:38:48 +0000

BANGKOK, 25 May 2009 (IRIN) - Human rights groups have welcomed a decision by the UN Human Rights Council (HRC) to address the condition of more than a quarter of a million conflict-displaced in Sri Lanka in a special session.

"This is an important opportunity to examine issues of accountability on both sides to the conflict and to ensure protection of displaced persons and their rights in the post-conflict transition," Julie de Rivero, Geneva advocacy director for Human Rights Watch (HRW), told IRIN, one day before the session was due in Geneva.

IN THE NEWS: U.S.: Obama Boosts Foreign, Development Aid Spending (Quoting CGS CEO Don Kraus)

amurray — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:37:07 +0000

True to his promises to bolster Washington's "soft power" abroad, President Barack Obama released details of his fiscal year (FY) 2010 budget that included significant increases in development assistance and other civilian-oriented tools of U.S. foreign policy.

If approved, the 2010 budget, combined with a pending FY09 supplemental budget that Congress is likely to approve in the coming weeks, would also go a long way to paying U.S. arrears to the United Nations and its peacekeeping operations and, for the first time in some 25 years, would ensure that Washington pays its dues to the U.N. body in a timely fashion, rather than one year late.

IN THE NEWS: Sen. Kerry looks for window to ratify Law of the Sea

along — Thu, 07 May 2009 13:48:15 +0000

Senate Foreign Relations Chairman John Kerry (D-Mass.) is crafting a strategy to ratify the long-stalled Law of the Sea Treaty this year -- a move that ocean and foreign policy experts say is increasingly important as climate change reshapes the Arctic.

Kerry said this week that he is working to find time for a hearing and votes on the treaty, which governs navigation, fishing, economic development and environmental standards on the open seas.

"I hope we're ready to ratify it. I am going to do everything in my power, but I want to do it on the right schedule," Kerry told reporters. "We're sort of working through that process carefully."

IN THE NEWS: Washington Times Letter to the Editor on the Law of the Sea

eapril — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 13:41:34 +0000

This letter by CGS staff was written in response to an op-ed by Dough Brandow regarding the Law of the Sea in The Washington Times.

The Washington Times
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: Ratify UNCLOS
Don Kraus and Robert A. Enholm

ORGANIZATIONAL LETTER: ICC Sign-on Letter to Secretary Clinton

admin — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 16:29:06 +0000

Download the PDF Here

READ THE TEXT OF THE LETTER:

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
U.S. Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Room 7226
Washington, DC 20520

Dear Madam Secretary:

VIDEO: Don't Miss the 2009 Annual Meeting!

valerie — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:42:12 +0000

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RSVP Today!