States' Procedural Obligations Regarding Private Military and Security Companies' Activities

A lot of attention has been paid by the international community to the responsibility of Private Military and Security Companies (PMSCs) and to the prevention of human rights abuses committed their employees. The non-binding nature of the existing international initiatives with respect to PMSCs requests the human rights law to play a crucial role to the regulation of PMSCs and their employees during operations. This article examines the States' procedural obligation under international human rights law with regard to allegations of the right to life and the prohibition of torture. Moreover, it assesses the application of the jurisprudence of human rights bodies over the activities of PMSCs, whilst it focuses on the obligations of States to prevent and investigate human rights allegations committed by PMSCs' employees. Above all, this article advocates that human rights law has a significant role in the regulation of PMSCs and the prevention of the commission of human rights violations by PMSCs and their employees.

Rights of Nature to Protect Human Rights in Times of Environmental Crisis

The well-being of humans and nature are inextricably linked. Nature is particularly mistreated in light of its characterization as merely “property” to be bought, sold, and ultimately degraded for profit. Reinforcing this misperception is the fact that modern environmental laws themselves implicitly accept this claim of “nature as property.” They legalize nature's destruction by dictating how much of the environment can be exploited and degraded, rather than as an integral ecological partner with its own rights to exist and thrive. Instead, we need laws grounded in the inherent rights of natural world to exist, thrive, and evolve. The article focuses on the transition from the ‘right to the environment' to a biocentric approach constructed around ‘rights of nature.' This transition is evident in various new legal instruments, which serve as models for legal systems that can steer us towards more robust and effective environmental laws.

Refoulement and Refugees

Refoulement, a French word meaning to reject; or backwash, is a contentious issue in the international law and policy. However, the word is unknown to most of the public world – the Australian government operations to deter asylum seekers titled ‘pushing back the boats', ‘operation sovereign borders' are questionably pushing the limits as to what's refoulement and what isn't – but the worded meaning in the convention relating to the status of refugees is the process by which a persecuted asylum seeker is forcibly removed back to a place where they are re-exposed to the same danger from which they are trying to escape. In this article, the author hopes to provide information to others who are interested in the area of refugee policy and, in particular Australia's role in the development of this increasingly important field of international law as well as the implementation of their own unique approach to dealing with asylum seekers arriving in their territorial waters by boat. in this chapter the author has made every effort to provide an unbiased, politically non-partisan view of the current policies which Australia has implemented under domestic law, which includes the act of turning back of boats and offshore processing in third-nation processing facilities.

Globalization and Human Rights

The world has undergone a change from ancient to modern. The enthusiasm among people to discover the undiscovered actually marked the beginning of the modern era and the advent of globalisation can be viewed as a bi-product of this modern civilisation. Globalisation was apparently meant to enhance cooperation among nations as partners in trade, but, gradually with better exposure to each other's culture, people started embracing the global ideas, habits, and way of life. Globalisation is therefore not just the integration of economies and markets, but it is also the integration of cultures and understandings, making people aware of their rights and role to be played in transforming the society for better. Thus, globalisation can rightly be called as the source of modern human rights, as it has no doubt played an active role in preserving and protecting Human Rights by technological expansion, increasing neo-liberal values, establishing certain super-national institutions and by promoting and maintaining civil liberties that uphold freedom, transparency, and popular participation.

Democracy and Child Rights Protection

The doctrine of constitutional supremacy is well entrenched in Nigerian constitutional and administrative law. A plethora of cases exists to establish the constitution as the supreme law-making instrument in Nigeria. This principle derives strength from a presumption that the constitution is reflective of the will of the people, as is expected under a democratic system of government. The aim of this chapter is to consider the relationship between human rights and democracy in the context of the Nigerian constitution. The first part of this chapter will be a brief overview of the Nigerian constitutional history leading up to the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). The author will then proceed to examine the 1999 constitution in the context of child rights. The significance of constitutional peculiarities in the context of child rights protection will be considered with reform measures suggested to address any emergent complexities.

Globalization as a New Framework for Human Rights Protection

Human rights protection through globalisation embraces universality by promoting the protection of human rights regardless of human differences including culture, religion, race, language and nationality. In the past however, some nations have denied to accept the key concepts of international social development and the protection of human dignity, through actioning war crimes and governmental intervention on the rights of citizens. Further, Cultural differences and intolerance of these differences, has created conflict in attempting to afford human rights to all individuals of all nations. Globalisation through encompassing various forms in the areas of political globalisation, media and communication, legal development, education, technological advancement and economic development, allows for the development of human rights protection with the consideration of vital social factors. Thus, Globalisation as a new framework for human rights protection has the potential to implement a global standard for all, in an attempt to repair the inadequacies of the past.

Language Human Rights

Language Human Rights as a newly-grown type of human rights has been raised in the field of linguistics in recent two decades. Due to its increasing importance, this chapter attempts to firstly define this concept, its nature and scope. Secondly, it tries to introduce the trace of this type of human rights in the available documents. Then, the chapter deals with and discusses the reasons for growing importance of language human rights from at least three aspects, namely a) the exponential decline and loss of world's languages; b) the growing presence of English as the language of globalization; c) nationalism and the violation of language rights of the minority in the field of education. Finally, some suggestions and practical recommendations are provided.

Recent Developments in International Relations in the Light of the Syrian Crisis

Much ink has already been spilt on the unprecedented terrorist attack in Paris on November 13, 2015 in an atmosphere of endless despair. Many characterize it as the “new 9-11”. Nevertheless, they tend to defy the significant fact that that attack was launched by an acknowledged organization, Al-Qaeda, acting as a frontispiece of the Afghan state. In the present case study, the current threat is of a much larger extent and ambit, gradually conquering the globe. What one needs to conceive is that ISIS enjoys no single and specific nationality- on the contrary, it operates as an amorphous mass, a totality achieved as a result of illegal forms of collaboration and interstate crime in countless regions of the world, though serving a common purpose: the violation of security, democracy and freedom of expression. The ultimate goal of the organization is the breakdown of democratic regimes and the emergence of the Caliphate as a global superpower that will handle telecommunications, (inter) governmental, (inter) state security systems, and so on. One thing is for sure: Islam serves as the pretext for these modern bloody crusades. No religion that respects itself preaches and initiates a “holy war”; a war that is being constantly heretically interpreted- to say the least. Global co-operations frequently alter, as the international components are defined by ephemeral alliances, perhaps with classic conflicting interests, such as the US-Russia common goal opponent against ISIS. Parallel to that, other fronts hover vis-à-vis the question of military intervention of France and USA-UK in the disputed area of Raqqa, the struggle between Turkey and Russia around the management of natural resources not only on their behalf, but also in terms of ISIS, the implementation of geopolitical strategies over the area along with the future of millions of Syrians, who were accounted for either as refugees in neighboring countries, such as Lebanon, or Internally Displaced Peoples (IDPs). The recent EU-Turkey Ankara Summit on refugees ignited hot debate over the way in which the Schengen area should be further fostered via the creation of the so-called “refugee hot-spots” within the Turkish territory.

The Evolution of Cyberspace, the Blogo-Sphere, and Their Impact on Political Autonomy and Political Participation

The purpose of this chapter is to evaluate the impact of cyberspace, the blogosphere on political autonomy and political participation. The cyberspace and the blogosphere have had a role to play in political autonomy and participation for as long as the internet has existed. The internet gives one a worldwide broadcasting capability. It is a mechanism for dissemination of information and a medium of collaboration and interaction between people irrespective of where they are situated in the world. Cyberspace and blogosphere are part of the bigger picture that is the internet.

Sports and Human Rights from an Ethical Perspective

Sports-associations (e. g. FIFA) engage in the fight against racism. Together with the UN, sports-associations (e. g. IOC) emphasize shared principles (justice, equality, and anti-discrimination). At the same time, athletes use the attention they receive for political activism, and sometimes they face criticism for politicizing sports. Furthermore, mega-sports-events can cause human rights violations, and other human rights challenges belong to sports itself, e.g., doping, child abuse. Therefore, this chapter will analyze the relation between sports and human rights and address the fundamental question if human rights are of relevance for sports. This question has not so far attracted as much of scientific attention as the analysis what sports does wrong and what could be done different. This chapter will discuss reasons justifying a human rights-engagement by sports and reasons for a human rights-abstinence by sports – concluding with a justification that human rights are relevant in different dimensions for sports.