On the contemporary international law scene, there are not many jurists who match the eminence and stature of Abdul G. Koroma. A distinguished lawyer, diplomat and member of the International Law Commission for many years, he has been a key figure in the elaboration, codification and negotiation of important multilateral treaties in diverse areas of international law. He subsequently served, for 18 years, on the bench of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) where he participated in deciding many of the Court’s leading cases during the busiest periods of its history. These outstanding essays, written by renowned judges, scholars and practitioners of international law in honour of Judge Koroma, discuss both classical and contemporary topics of significant relevance to the current and future of international law. The volume will appeal to anyone interested in the ICJ, peaceful settlement of inter-state disputes, law of the sea, international criminal law, international humanitarian law, regional integration and Africa’s contributions to international law. Contributors are: Avitus A Agbor, Babefemi Akinrinade, Adejoké Babington-Ashaye, Laurence Boisson de Chazournes, Tamara Cummings-John, John Dugard, Olufemi Elias, Sir Christopher Greenwood, Chikeziri Igwe, Osman Keh Kamara, Charles Manga Fombad, Madeline Choe-Amusimo Fombad, Charles Chernor Jalloh, Kenneth Keith, Tommy Koh, Tiyanjana Maluwa, Konstantinos D. Magliveras, Brian McGarry, Andrew Morgan, Gino J. Naldi, Lydia A. Nkansah, Vincent O. Nmehielle, Karin Oellers-Frahm, Olajumoke O. Oduwole, Obiora Chinedu Okafor, Phoebe Okowa, Adetola Onayemi, Pemmaraju Sreenivasa Rao, Bernardo Sepúlveda-Amor, Surya P. Subedi, Mia Swart, Abdul Tejan-Cole, Manuel J. Ventura, Sienho Yee, and Abdulqawi A. Yusuf.

A chilling global history of the human shield phenomenon. From Syrian civilians locked in iron cages to veterans joining peaceful indigenous water protectors at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, from Sri Lanka to Iraq and from Yemen to the United States, human beings have been used as shields for protection, coercion, or deterrence. Over the past decade, human shields have also appeared with increasing frequency in antinuclear struggles, civil and environmental protests, and even computer games. The phenomenon, however, is by no means a new one. Describing the use of human shields in key historical and contemporary moments across the globe, Neve Gordon and Nicola Perugini demonstrate how the increasing weaponization of human beings has made the position of civilians trapped in theaters of violence more precarious and their lives more expendable. They show how the law facilitates the use of lethal violence against vulnerable people while portraying it as humane, but they also reveal how people can and do use their own vulnerability to resist violence and denounce forms of dehumanization. Ultimately, Human Shields unsettles our common ethical assumptions about violence and the law and urges us to imagine entirely new forms of humane politics.

From Syrian civilians locked in iron cages to veterans joining peaceful indigenous water protectors at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, from Sri Lanka to Iraq and from Yemen to the United States, human beings have been used as shields for protection, coercion, or deterrence. Over the past decade, human shields have also appeared with increasing frequency in antinuclear struggles, civil and environmental protests, and even computer games. The phenomenon, however, is by no means a new one. Describing the use of human shields in key historical and contemporary moments across the globe, Neve Gordon and Nicola Perugini demonstrate how the increasing weaponization of human beings has made the position of civilians trapped in theaters of violence more precarious and their lives more expendable. They show how the law facilitates the use of lethal violence against vulnerable people while portraying it as humane, but they also reveal how people can and do use their own vulnerability to resist violence and denounce forms of dehumanization. Ultimately, Human Shields unsettles our common ethical assumptions about violence and the law and urges us to imagine entirely new forms of humane politics.

Shielding offers a collection of conceptual approaches through which bodies, intentionally or involuntarily, become shields. Bodies take on an ambivalent status in the process: they serve as protection or a buffer and express resistance. At the same time, they turn and are turned into weapons when they intervene on the ground and politically, in war, conflicts, and through activism. The contributorsaddress the idea of bodily integrity, both in a material sense and with regard to the symbolic and ethical relations that a body entangles. The book engages with ongoing debates around the re-evaluation of corporeality and embodiment in contemporary socio-political contexts.

This book provides an examination of whether there is a legally independent 'principle of humanity' in international humanitarian law.

Amid widespread awareness and discussion of “the democratic deficit” and “shrinking civil space,” the role of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) becomes increasingly important. Yet the precise legal status of such bodies is ill-defined. Here, for the first time, is a thorough commentary and analysis of the position of NGOs and European civil society in the European Union (EU) constitutional system, bringing to the fore existing and desirable means of public participation in EU lawmaking. Recognizing that NGOs have historically been designed to meet the ends of civil society, the analysis focuses on the following topics and issues: means in EU law of advocating for the collective interests of civil society; unofficial means of influencing the EU institutions; access to documents and the European Citizens’ Initiative as means of exerting pressure on EU legislation; relations between the EU institutions and NGOs, including lobbying activities; bringing actions in the common good before courts and other institutions; the special role of NGOs in environmental protection; complaints to the Commission and the European Ombudsman; EU funding for NGOs; and transboundary philanthropy. Drawing on a broad spectrum of sources of law, including CJEU case law and relevant legal literature, the book offers insightful proposals leading to the democratization of the EU’s internal procedures that will allow enhanced cooperation of civil society representatives across national borders. In its thorough examination of legal tools that can respond to the “democratic deficit,” this book makes a distinctive contribution to the public debate on the future of the European Union, especially in the context of emerging threats to further integration. It will prove of great value not only to civil activists, academics and policymakers but also to everyone interested in European integration and affordance for social participation.

About the publication The African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Children’s Rights Charter) is the continental instrument for protecting and promoting the rights and welfare of the Child. The Children’s Charter, adopted in 1990, forms part of the salient features of the African human rights system, complementing the parent human rights instrument, the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (African Charter). To give meaning and effect to its provisions, the African Children’s Rights Charter in article 34 establishes an organ namely the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (African Children’s Rights Committee or Committee) to monitor implementation by member states, to advocate for children’s rights and to hold state parties accountable to their obligations as state parties. Working collaboratively on the continent’s human rights system, the organs comprising the African human rights, namely, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Commission), the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Court) and the African Children’s Rights Committee, have undertaken to publish the African Human Rights Yearbook. This is an instrumental platform to highlight the mandate of the organs, to foster collaboration and to illustrate Africa’s commitment to uphold human rights. It is an important initiative that highlights various aspects of the norms and institutions relevant for human rights on the continent. This is the third volume of the Yearbook. It includes a focus on the 2019 theme of the African Union Refugees, Returnees and Internally Displaced Persons: Towards Durable Solutions to Forced Displacement in Africa. The African Children’s Committee has at the same time undertaken and published a study on Children on the Move (2019), focusing not only on refugees, detainees and internally displaced persons, but also drawing inspiration from the protective mandate of the African Children’s Rights Charter to draw the continent’s attention to the protection and promotion of the rights and welfare of children who are on the move. The focus on themes of the African Union enables a critical analysis of the extent of their implementation and relevance to the human rights discourse in the continent. Furthermore, the special focus of the Yearbook on various groups of people in vulnerable situation, such as children and women, signals the need to enhance their protection and prioritise their plight. The role of academic writing in advancement of human rights deserves due notice and appreciation by human rights implementing bodies. Peer reviewed academic research provides credible and independent knowledge about human rights in a specific country or region, as well as in various contexts and thematic areas. Academia plays a major role in the development of a human rights resource base that enables sustainable enhancement of human rights protection and promotion. The African Human Rights Yearbook is an excellent example of the important role played by academia in strengthening human rights protection and promotion in Africa. The breadth of knowledge enveloped in the Yearbook is evidenced by the long list of highly established scholars that informed it. By questioning and analysing the institutional architecture and the work of the three human rights bodies, the Yearbook has an invaluable role of ameliorating their functioning as a collective system. For this reason, it is critical that the Committee, Commission and Court take note of the various recommendations stemming from the research and apply them when relevant, for better protection and promotion of human rights in Africa. Mrs. Goitseone Nanikie Nkwe Chairperson of the African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child. La Charte africaine des droits et du bien-être de l’enfant (Charte des droits de l’enfant) est l’instrument central en matière de protection et de promotion des droits et du bien-être de l’enfant en Afrique. Adoptée en 1990, elle fait partie intégrante des instruments clés du système africain des droits de l’homme et complète, à cet effet, la Charte africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples, le traité fondateur du système africain des droits de l’homme. Pour mieux protéger les droits des enfants, le Comité africain d’experts sur les droits et le bien-être de l’enfant (Comité) fut créé à travers l’article 34 de la Charte des droits de l’enfant. Cet organe a pour mission de surveiller et de contrôler l’application et la mise en oeuvre de la Charte. Il veille que les Etats respectent et rendent compte de la mise en oeuvre des obligations qui leur incombent en vertu de la Charte. Travaillant en étroite collaboration dans le cadre de la protection des droits de l’homme en Afrique, la Commission africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples, la Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples et le Comité africain d’experts sur les droits et le bien-être de l’enfant ont mis en place l’Annuaire africain des droits de l’homme. Cette initiative sert d’opportunité pour promouvoir les missions dévolues auxdits organes, raffermir les liens de collaboration entre eux et rappeler l’engagement pris par l’Afrique afin de protéger les droits humains. L’Annuaire est une initiative importante car elle met en exergue les différents aspects normatifs et institutionnels des droits de l’homme en Afrique. Ce troisième volume de l’Annuaire est dédié au thème que l’Union africaine a retenu pour l’année 2019; Année des réfugiés, des rapatriés et des personnes déplacées: Vers des solutions durables aux déplacements forcés en Afrique. En parallèle, le Comité a entrepris et publié une cartographie des enfants en mouvement en Afrique (2019) axée sur les réfugiés, les détenus et les déplacés internes. Tirant ses fondements du mandat de protection que confère la Charte des droits de l’enfant, la cartographie attire l’attention du continent sur la protection et la promotion des droits et du bien-être des enfants en mouvement. L’emphase sur les thèmes de l’Union africaine dans l’Annuaire permet d’examiner le degré de leur mise en oeuvre et leur importance au débat sur la question des droits de l’homme en Afrique. Par ailleurs, l’accent mis sur les catégories et groupes en situations de vulnérabilité dont les enfants et les femmes, sert à réitérer la nécessité de renforcer leur protection et de prioriser leur infortune. Les organes de protection des droits de l’homme devraient reconnaitre, à sa juste valeur, le rôle que jouent les travaux scientifiques dans la promotion des droits de l’homme. Les travaux de recherche scientifique relus et examinés par les pairs fournissent des connaissances crédibles et indépendantes sur les droits de l’homme dans un pays ou une région spécifique, ainsi que dans divers contextes et domaines thématiques. Les universités jouent un rôle prépondérant dans la mise en place des ressources adéquates en matière des droits de l’homme en vue de renforcer durablement leur protection et promotion. L’Annuaire africain des droits de l’homme est un parfait exemple de l’important rôle joué par les universités dans le renforcement de la protection et de la promotion des droits de l’homme en Afrique. La profondeur des connaissances que regorge l’Annuaire peut être illustrée de par la longue liste d’universitaires et des chercheurs qui le constituent. En interrogeant et en analysant l’architecture institutionnelle et le travail des trois organes de défense des droits de l’homme, l’Annuaire joue un rôle inestimable dans l’amélioration de leur fonctionnement en tant que système collectif. Pour cette raison, il est essentiel que le Comité, la Commission et la Cour prennent note des diverses recommandations découlant des recherches entreprises et les appliquent le cas échéant pour une meilleure protection et promotion des droits de l’homme en Afrique. Mme Goitseone Nanikie Nkwe Président du Comité africain d’experts sur les droits et le bien-être de l’enfant Table of Contents I. ARTICLES FOCUSED ON ASPECTS OF THE AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS SYSTEM AND AFRICAN UNION HUMAN RIGHTS STANDARDS ARTICLES PORTANT SUR LES ASPECTS DU SYSTÈME AFRICAIN DES DROITS DE L’HOMME ET LES NORMES DES DROITS DE L’HOMME DE L’UNION AFRICAINE Le système africain de protection des droits de l’homme et la question des enfants soldats Abelungu, Junior Mumbala L’émergence d’un juge électoral régional africain Adjolohoun,Sègnonna Horace & Youmbi, Eric M. Ngango O direito ao desenvolvimento como um direito fundamental: a sua proteção jurídica na União Africana e na ordem jurídica dos Países Africanos de Língua Oficial Portuguesa Baldé, Aua Le temps du procès et la sécurité juridique des requérants dans la procédure devant la Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples Dzesseu, SergesFrédéric Mboumegne Patterns of discrimination based on sexual orientation in Africa: is there a Lusophone exception? Garrido, Rui Children’s right to sustainable development under the African human rights framework Boshoff, Elsabé & Damtew, Samrawit Getaneh Journalism and human rights standards in Africa: reportage of violence against persons with albinism in Malawian newspapers Mlenga, Joe Droits de l’homme et justice climatique en Afrique Owona, Daniel Mental health and exploitation, violence and abuse: the domestication of articles 5 and 16 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights in Ghana and its implication for conventional and traditional mental healthcare Schuck, Natalie The privacy awakening: the urgent need to harmonise the right to privacy in Africa Singh, Avani & Power, Micheal The settlement option: friend or foe to human rights protection in Africa? Zarifis, Ismene Nicole II ARTICLES RELATED TO THE THEME OF THE YEAR 2019: ‘REFUGEES, RETURNEES AND INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS: TOWARDS DURABLE SOLUTIONS TO FORCED DISPLACEMENT IN AFRICA’ ARTICLES PORTANT SUR LE THÈME DE L’ANNÉE 2019: « ANNÉE DES RÉFUGIÉS, DES RAPATRIÉS ET DES PERSONNES DÉPLACÉES: VERS DES SOLUTIONS DURABLES AUX DÉPLACEMENTS FORCÉS EN AFRIQUE » The protection of climate refugees under the African human rights system: proposing a value-driven approach Addaney, Michael; Jegede, Ademola Oluborode and Matinda, Miriam The African Union Protocol on Free Movement of Persons in Africa: development, provisions and implementation challenges Adeola, Romola La prévention de l’apatridie dans le système africain des droits de l’homme Avlessi, Renaud Fiacre Legal protection of refugee children in Africa: positive aspects and shortcomings d’Orsi, Cristiano III CASE COMMENTARIES COMMENTAIRES DE DECISIONS Entre imperium illimité et decidendi timoré: la réparation devant la Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples Adjolohoun, Sègnonna Horace & Oré, Sylvain Le droit à l’autodétermination en tant que droit fondamental de l’homme et des peuples à la lumière de l’avis de la Cour internationale de Justice sur l’archipel des Chagos Ben Achour, Rafaâ Commentaire de l’arrêt de la Cour africaine des droits de l’homme et des peuples dans l’affaire Mariam Kouma et Ousmane Diabaté c. Mali Bizimana, Eric Interrogating the status of amnesty provisions in situations of transition under the Banjul Charter: review of the recent jurisprudence of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights Dersso, Solomon Silences that speak volumes: the significance of the African Court decision in APDF and IHRDA v Mali for women’s human rights on the continent Kombo, Brenda K The Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on Chagos: a critical overview Mahadew, Roopanand State compliance with decisions of the African Court: the case of Alfred Agbesi Woyeme v Ghana Morhe, Renee Aku Stitsofe and Mensah, Richard Obeng A missed opportunity on the mandatory death penalty: a commentary on Dexter Eddie Johnson v Ghana at the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Novak, Andrew Is the African Court’s decision in Dexter Eddie v Ghana a missed opportunity? A reply to Andrew Novak Nkhata, Mwiza Jo L’affaire Armand Guehi c.Tanzanie et la question du droit à l’assistance consulaire: l’intrusion d’une nouvelle préoccupation dans le corpus juridique des droits de l’homme en Afrique Oulepo, Nemlin Hie Arnaud