Content

Digest

ECJ to address the EC’s Powers in the Field of Development Aid

On December 5, the European Court of Justice will hear pleadings in a case brought by the Commission against a Council decision on common foreign and security policy. The Commission contests the legality of the Council’s decision to contribute to ECOWAS (the Economic Community of West African States) through the Moratorium on Small Arms and Light Weapons. According to the Commission, the Council has infringed the European Community’s powers in the field of development aid. For more information see here.

Digest

NATO Sets Priorities

At the Riga Summit, NATO Heads of State and Government endorsed the Comprehensive Political Guidance, a policy document that lays out the priorities for all Alliance capability issues. While the Guidance acknowledges the possibility of unpredictable events, it recognizes that the principal threats to the Alliance are terrorism, proliferation, failing states, regional crises, misuse of technologies and disruption of the flow of important resources.

For more, see http://www.nato.int/docu/update/2006/11-november/e1129b.htm

Digest

Desmond Tutu to Head UN Probe of Beit Hanoun Killings

Desmond Tutu will head the UN Human Rights Council fact-finding mission into the attack on Beit Hanoun that killed 19 Palestinian civilians. Part of the mission is to make recommendations on ways and means to protect Palestinian civilians against further Israeli assaults. Israel claims the attack, caused by Israeli military operations in Gaza, was the result of a technical error. Israel has apologized. A progress report is due no later than mid-December.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20776&Cr=palestin&Cr1=

Digest

UN Given Prime Responsibility for Police Operations in Timor Leste

The UN will have prime responsibility for police operations in Timor Leste. This is the first ever such arrangement between a sovereign nation and the UN. The UN is to restore and maintain public security, and to assist with the reform, restructuring and rebuilding of the Timorese National Police, and the strengthening of the Ministry of the Interior. Violence this year has led to the deaths of at least 37 people and forced 15% of the population to flee their homes.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20823&Cr=timor&Cr1=leste

Digest

Security Council Expresses Concern About Fiji Coup Possibility

In a statement to the press on November 29th, the Security Council joined Secretary-General Kofi Annan in expressing concern at the seemingly growing threat of a coup d’état in the island nation of Fiji. Applauding the efforts of domestic and regional figures who have attempted to mediate the mounting crisis between the Government of Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase and military leaders, Ambassador Jorge Voto-Bernales of Peru, whose delegation presided over the Council in November, also warned that the ongoing unrest jeopardizes Fiji’s place in the international community.

http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=20782&Cr=fiji&Cr1=

Digest

ECtHR on Lawyers’ Freedom of Expression

On November 30, the European Court of Human Rights delivered a 5 to 2 decision in Veraart v. The Netherlands condemning the Netherlands for violations of the freedom of expression. The applicant was legal adviser to a family accused of incest as a result of the recovery of repressed memories through psychotherapy. The lawyer publicly criticized the psychotherapist in question, and was then sanctioned by the Disciplinary Appeals Tribunal. For more information see here.

Scroll to Top