Search results

After the entry into force of its Statute on 1st July 2002, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has started to work. The first Situations (Congo, Uganda, Central African Republic and Sudan) and Cases (Lubanga, Kony, Otti, Lukwiya, Odhiambo, Ongwen) are now pending before the Court. The first public decisions of the Court are dated July 2004. More than 230 public decisions were rendered by 31 December 2006. ""The Annotated Digest of the International Criminal Court (2004-2006)"" is the first volume of an annual or biennial series, depending on the volume of decisions issued. It compiles a se

Analysis of detailed statistics shows remarkable fluctuations in the volume and composition of voyages on the Northern Sea Route (NSR) along the northern coast of Russia since international use began in 2010. There has been strong growth in destination shipping between the Arctic and ports outside the region, but transit shipping between the Pacific and the Atlantic has not experienced the growth many had anticipated. Explanations are found in international market conditions as well as in the management of the NSR, with important lessons for the future development of different shipping segments. Shipping companies from several countries took part in the period up to 2019, but they seem to have become less central in the current phase of NSR shipping, which is dominated by the transport of hydrocarbons out of the Arctic. Russia expects international transit to pick up later. However, Russia alone cannot determine the volume of international traffic: it is the international shipping industry that will assess the balance of factors and conditions, and conclude if and when the shorter Arctic routes are safe, efficient, reliable, environmentally sound and economically viable in comparison with other routes.

The year 2019 was "the international year of the salmon" (IYS). The overarching aim was "to inform and stimulate outreach and research that aspires to establish the conditions necessary to ensure the resilience of salmon and people throughout the Northern Hemisphere;" further, to bring people together, share and develop knowledge, raise awareness and take action. This article is intended as a contribution to this goal. The article discusses how international law: the Law of the Sea Convention, the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Convention for the Conservation of Salmon in the North Atlantic Ocean relate to conservation and management of wild salmon. The article has a special focus on bilateral cooperation on salmon stocks in boundary/transboundary rivers, and using as a case study the Tana river in Norway and Finland.

The Minamata Convention, which entered into force on 16 August 2017, is a global, legally binding instrument on mercury. The initiative on the Minamata Convention was mainly driven by research showing negative effects on human health and the environment in the Arctic. The Arctic Council, an intergovernmental forum promoting cooperation on Arctic issues, and its Working Group, AMAP, played an important role in the process leading up to international negotiations on the Minamata Convention. This paper elucidates the evolutionary process in which scientific knowledge, herded by an intergovernmental, regional forum, is involved and forms the basis for a legally binding agreement. The paper provides new insight on multilevel governance of the mercury issue and unravels the role that AMAP has played in this dynamic process.

Negotiations are ongoing to develop an international legally binding instrument (ILBI) under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the conservation and sustainable use of marine biological diversity in areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ). If adopted, the ILBI will likely apply to parts of the Arctic Ocean where the Arctic Council has played an important role for ocean governance. This begs the question of what role the Arctic Council will play vis-à-vis a future ILBI, which is envisioned to "not undermine existing relevant legal instruments and frameworks and relevant global, regional and sectoral bodies" (UN General Assembly Resolution 72/249). Against this backdrop, this article reflects on the future relationship between the Arctic Council and the ILBI. In so doing, the article initially discusses possible meanings of the notion of not undermining and, more broadly, how the ILBI will likely determine its institutional relationship with relevant bodies for BBNJ. Based on that, the article provides a short overview of the role of the Arctic Council in Arctic Ocean governance and explores whether the Arctic Council would qualify as a relevant regional body that shall not be undermined by the future ILBI.

Le présent volume contient les Actes du colloque international sur les " Représentations et conceptions de l'espace dans la culture médiévale " qui s'est déroulé du 19 au 21 octobre 2009 sous les auspices de l'Institut d'Etudes Médiévales de l'Université de Fribourg (Suisse). La participation de spécialistes de rang international à cette rencontre atteste du vif intérêt que suscitent aujourd'hui dans la communauté scientifique la perception et la compréhension médiévales de l'espace. En effet, d'importantes études menées au cours de la dernière décennie auront éclairé sous un nouveau jour la signification complexe de l'espace dans la civilisation du Moyen Age latin, qui se décline sur plusieurs registres : social, économique, politique, culturel et religieux. Loin d'apaiser la curiosité scientifique, les études récentes sur ces diverses facettes de l'espace médiéval ont ouvert de nouveaux horizons, suscité des interrogations nouvelles, mis à jour un vaste chantier d'investigation sur les rapports aux lieux et à l'espace dans la vie et la culture du Moyen Age européen. Le colloque visait donc à explorer davantage quelques pistes de recherche. Il a réuni des chercheurs de pays, de langues, de cultures et de domaines scientifiques différents. Il a ainsi donné lieu à un dialogue animé qui aura permis de confronter et d'enrichir mutuellement les visions de l'espace médiéval des spécialistes de l'histoire, de la philosophie, de l'histoire de l'art et de la littérature

This article discusses how the war in Ukraine, started by Russia, impacts the lives of Russian Indigenous small-numbered peoples. First, one can observe Russia's growing disregard for its international legal obligations. Second, the Russian State is continuously introducing new sanctions against persons and organizations who do not support the Russian regime. Third, the pressure on Indigenous peoples' representatives is increasing. Fourth, a significant number of members of Indigenous small-numbered peoples actively participate in the war due to, inter alia, socio-economic problems and lack of reliable and objective information about it. Fifth, there is a decline in international cooperation with the Indigenous small-numbered peoples of Russia. Finally, it is visible that the role of Indigenous peoples, including Russian Indigenous peoples, in international decision-making changes.