International Trade Law

Saudi Arabia Challenging EU Anti-Dumping Duties:

Saudi Arabia has requested for consultation with the EU concerning anti-dumping duties being imposed on Mono-Ethylene Glycol (MEG) imported from Saudi Arabia. The compound has a variety of uses in the industrial processes for polyester products like clothing and plastic bottles. Saudi Arabia has in the past been accused of anti-dumping with respect to MEG by Reliance Industry Limited (RIL) in India. But the anti-dumping duty investigation was terminated following a 15 billion dollar deal between RIL and Saudi Arabian Owned Company Aramco. 

International Human Rights

UN Human Rights Council to Deliberate on Taliban

The United Nations Human Rights Council announced a special session on August 24th to discuss the human rights concerns in Afghanistan following the Taliban takeover. 89 nations have addressed their support towards the session. The Secretary General has urged the Taliban to uphold and respect human rights law and humanitarian law. The Taliban spokesperson has stated that no harm will be inflicted on those who worked for the government and that women can continue working and going to school. To read more click here and here. 

Human Rights Crisis in Ethiopia

On World Humanitarian Day, the Secretary General described the situation in Ethiopia as a “hellish” humanitarian condition with its infrastructure devastated. The Secretary General urged that hostilities should end in the Tigray region in Ethiopia and for immediate peaceful dialogue. The situation in Ethiopia arose following hostilities in Tigray in November, following which the government began arbitrarily arresting individuals and dismissing individuals in government from the Tigray region. There have also been a number of forcible disappearances. To read more click here and here.

Uganda Suspends 54 NGO’s

Uganda justified its action of suspending 54 NGO’s the grounds of non compliance as they were required to not interfere with domestic politics. President Musevini who has served as the President of Uganda since 1986 has stated that several NGOs have been found to support the opposition and have accused them of political persecution. Most of the suspended NGOs such as DGF and Chapter 4 have acted as civil liberties watchdogs and helped defend unlawful charges against opposition party members. Other suspended NGOs include those like AFIEGO which have been involved with defending the rights of people affected by crude oil projects. To read more click here, here and here.

Maritime Law

The Nicaragua v. Colombia Dispute Hearings

The International Court of Justice, according to press release 2021/19, shall soon commence with the ‘hybrid’ hearings in the case concerning the Alleged Violations of Sovereign Rights and Maritime Spaces in the Caribbean Sea (Nicaragua v. Colombia). The hearings will be held starting next month, from 20th September to 1st October. The case concerns a dispute instituted by Nicaragua, alleging that Colombia violated its sovereign rights and maritime zones as declared by the court’s previous judgment in 2012. The court found that it had jurisdiction over the dispute earlier in 2016, basing this upon Article XXXI of the Pact of Bogota, 1948. Later, two out of four counterclaims filed by Colombia were also accepted as forming part of the proceedings, to which Nicaragua was directed to submit its rejoinders. To read more click here.