Suchergebnisse

AbstractFreedom from fear, expressly recognized in the foundational human rights treaties, has been forgotten in human rights discourse. Fear can have profound behavioural impacts. Without recognition of the importance of freedom from fear, the fulfilment of many human rights is compromised, particularly physical security. Politico-legal thought, from Montesquieu and Blackstone, has long identified the significance of security of the person and the tension between liberty and security. Comparative exploration of contemporary case law reveals disparate approaches to the recognition of security of the person as an individual right which the State is obliged to protect. Increasing the salience of security of the person and the dimension of freedom from fear in human rights decision making raises the difficult issue of balancing conflicting rights.

Discusses difficulties involved in implementing a worldwide ban on biological weapons. Major obstacles to establishing an international norm against biological weapons include the reality that some individuals/groups will do anything to win a territorial or ideological battle; the dual-use nature of the equipment & knowledge needed to make biological weapons; & world leaders who condemn others for having biological weapons but insist on keep such weapons themselves. International attempts to develop a global norm against biological weapons are traced from the 1925 Geneva Protocol & include the 1972 Biological & Toxin Weapons Conventions (BWC) & export controls on dual-use items. Problems that have plagued the BWC since its adoption are pointed out. Talks to explore the feasibility of monitoring the treaty led to a draft protocol in 2001 that was rejected by the US on grounds that it would jeopardize trade secrets & national security. Although the US proposed initiatives to substitute for a monitoring protocol, multilateral action to enforce a norm against biological weapons is unlikely in the near future. J. Lindroth

Examines the successful referendum on independence from Indonesia on August 30, 1999, violence by the Indonesian government before and after the election, and the role of the UN Mission in East Timor (UNAMET) in the independence process. Personal experiences of a British reporter in Dili, the East Timorese capital.