On August 12, 2014, the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs launched its publication, “Mental Health Matters: the Social Inclusion of Youth with Mental Health Conditions.” According to a news article, the report was “launched to coincide with International Youth Day which this year shines a spotlight on the importance of mental health.” Noting that “one-fifth of the young people around the world experience a mental health condition,” the report seeks “to draw on available research to raise awareness of youth mental-health conditions among relevant stakeholders and to start a...
International Law in Brief
International Law in Brief (ILIB) is a forum that provides updates on current developments in international law from the editors of ASIL's International Legal Materials.
On August 8, 2014, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) held its tenth regional workshop in Nairobi, Kenya on “The role of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea in the settlement of disputes relating to the law of the sea in Eastern and Southern Africa.” According to the press release, the aim of the conference was to “to familiarize the participants with the mechanism for dispute settlement established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and with the jurisdiction of the Tribunal.” The workshops serve as “part of the Tribunal’s...
On August 7, 2014, Russia implemented sanctions banning agricultural and certain other food products against Western countries in response to prior sanctions initiated against Russia over events taking place in Ukraine. According to a news article, “[t]he sanctions affect the 28 European Union members, the United States, Canada, Australia and non-EU member Norway” and will include “all meat, fish, poultry, dairy, fruit and vegetables.” The sanctions are slated to last for one year.
On August 7, 2014, the Trial Chamber of the UN-backed Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (the Court) found Nuon Chea and Kieu Samphan, leaders of Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge regime, guilty of crimes against humanity committed between April 1975 and December 1977 and sentenced them to life in prison. According to the press release, the Court found that both Nuon Chea and Kieu Samphan “were, through their participation in the joint criminal enterprise, found to have committed the crimes against humanity of murder, political persecution and other inhumane acts [. . .]; political...
On August 7, 2014, Argentina submitted an application to the International Court of Justice (the Court) regarding a “[d]ispute concerning judicial decisions of the United States of America relating to the restructuring of the Argentine sovereign debt.” According to the press release, Argentina “contends that the United States of America has committed violations of Argentine sovereignty and immunities and other related violations as a result of judicial decisions adopted by US tribunals concerning the restructuring of the Argentine public debt.” The Court has transmitted the application...
On August 4, 2014, the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the Parliament of MERCOSUR concluded an Exchange of Letters for the establishment of a Framework Cooperation Arrangement between the two entities. According to the press release, “the two organisations agreed to develop their mutual cooperation on matters of common interest” and foresee the Arrangement as helping to “intensify the involvement of MERCOSUR and its Member States in the international criminal justice system.” In his remarks at the signing ceremony, ICC President Sang-Hyun Song noted that “every one of the 12...
On August 1, 2014, the UN welcomed the decision of the Constitutional Court of Uganda (the Court) to annul the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. According to a news article, the anti-homosexuality law, which was promulgated in February, made “aggravated homosexuality” punishable by life in prison. The Court ruled that the law “was invalid because it had been passed by Parliament without proper quorum.” The Court’s ruling “on narrow technical grounds, preserv[es] the possibility that the measure could be revived.”
On August 1, 2014, the UN welcomed the decision of the Constitutional Court of Uganda (the Court) to annul the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. According to a news article, the anti-homosexuality law, which was promulgated in February, made “aggravated homosexuality” punishable by life in prison. The Court ruled that the law “was invalid because it had been passed by Parliament without proper quorum.” The Court’s ruling “on narrow technical grounds, preserv[es] the possibility that the measure could be revived.”
On August 1, 2014, the UN welcomed the decision of the Constitutional Court of Uganda (the Court) to annul the country’s Anti-Homosexuality Act. According to a news article, the anti-homosexuality law, which was promulgated in February, made “aggravated homosexuality” punishable by life in prison. The Court ruled that the law “was invalid because it had been passed by Parliament without proper quorum.” The Court’s ruling “on narrow technical grounds, preserv[es] the possibility that the measure could be revived.”
On August 3, 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon condemned the shelling outside of a United Nations School in Gaza, which was housing thousands of civilians, as a violation of international humanitarian law. According to a news article, the Secretary-General stated that “[t]he attack is yet another gross violation of international humanitarian law, which clearly requires protection by both parties of Palestinian civilians, UN staff and UN premises, among other civilian facilities.” The statement was released “after the collapse . . . of a humanitarian ceasefire brokered by...