On November 18, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) published a report confirming the use of chemical weapons by Russia during military operations against Ukraine. These actions constitute a severe violation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), undermine the foundations of international law, and pose new threats to global security. Experts from…
Law and Justice
End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists
Photo by Korie Cull on Unsplash International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists is being marked with the launch of a new initiative aimed at protecting the media in their work. To mark the international day on 1 November, the National Union of Journalists, NUJ, has launched its new Journalists’ Safety Tracker….
Allegations of Misuse of EU Funds
Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash The biggest political group in the EU parliament has moved to respond to a reported investigation. This concerns a reported probe by the European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) into a possible alleged misuse of EU funds. The EPPO is the independent public prosecution office of the European Union. It is…
Support Taiwan’s Participation in Interpol
Photo by Sean Lee on Unsplash.com Timely intelligence sharing is key to combating transnational crime; join hands with Taiwan to build a safer global village, writes CHOU Yew-Woei. Taiwan enjoys strong law enforcement capabilities and cooperates with friendly partners in criminal investigations. Being able to exchange information in real time is crucial to combating…
Destruction of Ukraine’s Cultural Heritage
Photo: Alina Bodnar / UNITED24 The recent adoption of the Declaration “Destruction of Cultural Heritage in Ukraine” by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe marks an important step in recognising the consequences of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. The document notes that as a result of deliberate actions by…
Interpol Launches “Operation Identify Me”
Photo by Sam McNamara on Unsplash An international campaign to solve the mystery of scores of missing women in Belgium and mainland Europe is being stepped up. The initiative, called “Operation Identify Me”, aims to identify women whose bodies were found in six European countries, many of whom are believed to have been murdered….
Erosion of EU Sanctions Policy
Despite the imposition of the most stringent sanctions on Russia since 2014, aimed at crippling its military-industrial complex, the resilience of Russia’s defence sector remains evident, largely due to ongoing support from Chinese companies. These sanctions, designed to restrict high-tech product supplies, have not succeeded in stifling the production of military equipment and armaments in…
Attacks on Judiciary in Hungary
Photo by Keszthelyi Timi on Unsplash The US Ambassador to Hungary has criticised alleged attacks on the judiciary in Hungary. David Pressman was giving a keynote address at the 2024 Budapest Forum on 18 September. He told the event that soon after he arrived in Hungary, he had endeavoured to meet with leaders…
EU Financial Assistance for Ukraine
Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash The European Commission has taken what it calls a decisive step in reinforcing support for Ukraine by proposing a comprehensive financial assistance package. This, it has been revealed, consists of a Ukraine Loan Cooperation Mechanism of up to €45 billion, and an exceptional Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) loan…
Stop Labour Exploitation
Photo by Allan Wadsworth on Unsplash More than 700 workers “united” on Tuesday in front of the European Parliament, Strasbourg, France, to call upon the EU institutions for urgent action to stop exploitation in subcontracting chains and labour intermediation. The European action organised by the EFBWW (European Federation of Building and Woodworkers), EFFAT…