Improving UN Situational Awareness
The United Nations (U.N.) is mandated and resourced to prevent and respond to mass human suffering caused by conflict, natural disaster, and disease. Yet it is often criticized for failing to act in a timely way. There are many structural, political, and practical reasons for these failures, and the solutions are not easy. One important […]
Statement of Aditi Gorur: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Statement — Briefing on Democratic Republic of the Congo: An Update Aditi Gorur Director, Protecting Civilians in Conflict Program, Stimson Center House Foreign Affairs Committee Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission Washington, DC August 23, 2017 As Prepared Thank you to the members of the Commission for the invitation to speak to you today. I am […]
Aditi Gorur Briefs Capitol Hill on Political Situation in Congo
Political Situation in Congo The Tom Lantos Human Rights Commission hosted a panel discussion on the current political and security situations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Speakers also discussed emerging human rights violations, local conflicts, and the challenges facing United Nations peacekeepers in the DRC. Panelists included representatives from Amnesty International, the […]
Preventing Forced Return in Lebanon and the Greater Levant
By Jesse Marks The Syrian refugee crisis has created enormous burdens for Syria’s neighbors — and none more so than Lebanon, which accounts for the highest refugee per capita in the world at 1.5 million Syrian refugees. The pressure of hosting so many refugees has had wide-ranging effects, even aiding the growth of Hay’at Tahrir […]
Jesse Marks’ op-ed in World Politics Review on ending Syrian sieges with diplomacy
The former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Samantha Power, called them “starve, surrender and slaughter” tactics. Former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called them a “war crime.” Sieges have been especially brutal on civilians in Syria’s civil war, yet they remain the Syrian government’s favorite strategy for retaking territory and purging key regions of the country […]
Making Syria Safe for Refugees
As Russia’s “de-escalation plan” for the ongoing war in Syria takes effect, neighboring countries are keen to return massive Syrian refugee populations to the four safe zones that the plan establishes in the western part of the country. Key leaders in Lebanon and Jordan are continuing to advocate for return, and according to Turkish officials, […]
Jesse Marks’ and Alexander Decina’s op-ed in Foreign Affairs on protecting civilians in Syrian safe zones
As Russia’s “de-escalation plan” for the ongoing war in Syria takes effect, neighboring countries are keen to return massive Syrian refugee populations to the four safe zones that the plan establishes in the western part of the country. Key leaders in Lebanon and Jordan are continuing to advocate for return, and according to Turkish officials, […]
Rachel Stohl and Shannon Dick’s Op-ed in Foreign Policy on child soldiers
The Donald Trump administration released the annual Trafficking in Persons Report this week, which includes the list of governments known to use or support the use of child soldiers and thus which may be prohibited from receiving U.S. weapons and military assistance. Yet this year’s list is particularly remarkable for what it lacks, namely the identification […]