Kristen Boon

For those of us in the direct line of Hurricane Sandy, it seems appropriate to highlight recent developments in international disaster law.

Many of the legal challenges arising from natural disasters involve practical issues such as obtaining visas, removing bureaucratic barriers to financial aid and ensuring that foreign actors offering assistance comply with local laws.
 
However, natural disasters also raise a number of bigger questions:
  • Should the responsibility to protect apply to natural disasters?
  • Do states have a duty to accept help following natural disasters?
  • How will the obligations to protect citizens affect our understanding of sovereignty?
This article was originally posted on Opinio Juris here.
Kristen Boon
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European square with people walking and a historic building, in blue tones.

Is Political Discrimination Europe’s New Democratic Threat?

The decline of trust in public institutions is not a phenomenon confined to any single border; it is a defining global crisis of the 21st century. From the Americas to Southeast Asia, intensifying political polarization and a growing sense of disillusionment with traditional political institutions are evident. However, to understand the mechanics of this decay, we must look to where the data is most granular.

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