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10 July 2013
Five Latin American states expressed their concerns to the UN Secretary-General on Tuesday over the refusal of several European states to allow the Bolivian President Evo Morales’ plane to enter their airspace last week due to suspicions that Edward Snowden was on board. The meeting was held yesterday at the UN Headquarters between Ban Ki-moon and the ambassadors of Bolivia, Cuba, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela.
The Secretary-General called for the prevention of such incidents in the future and encouraged the states to discuss the concerns amicably taking into consideration legitimate interests involved, and noted that the aircraft of a Head of State enjoys immunity and is inviolable.
Source: UN News Centre | Latin American nations voice concerns to Ban over rerouting of Bolivian leader's plane
10 July 2013
The US and its Western Allies, including France and Germany that have expressed concerns over US data mining operations in Europe, share a long history of quietly exchanging intelligence on their citizens, the New York Times reported on Tuesday.
Notwithstanding the vocal criticism of European leaders on the Prism program, France, Germany and the UK may have benefited from US intelligence operations and have maintained wide-ranging surveillance operations on their own. According to the NYT, Germany continues intensive exchange of information with the US based on Cold War era agreements, while Le Monde reported last week that the French intelligence agency (DGSE) maintains an extensive telecommunications data collection system on its own that is ‘’on the margins of legality and beyond serious control’’.
Source: The New York Times | For Western Allies, a Long History of Swapping Intelligence
Source: Le Monde | Révélations sur le Big Brother français
1 July 2013
The New York Times reported on Saturday on the aggressive role taken by Qatar in using a shadowy arms network, involving transit through Turkey, Libyan stockpiles, and Chinese-made shoulder-fired missiles that could, according to warnings by US officials, be used to shoot down civilian aircraft if found at the hands of terrorist organizations.
When supplying the rebels in Libya, Qatar was reportedly giving weapons to Islamic militants, and similar concerns have now been raised with regard to Syria, where the Qatari shipments have enabled the Islamists in the north to become the most capable section of the opposition, the New York Times writes. The small oil-rich gulf state has purportedly taken an outsize role in Syria in order to pursue its interests this ‘backyard’ thereby increasing its influence in the Middle East, without its Western and Arab allies having been able to leverage its policies due to their own strategic alliances with the state.
Source: The New York Times | Taking Outsize Role in Syria, Qatar Funnels Arms to Rebels
1 July 2013
The Mexican government welcomed on Friday the passing of the immigration reform bill in the US Senate last Thursday as a breakthrough and reiterated its call for the continued need of a ‘shared vision’ on the topic.
The Mexican Foreign Secretary Jose Antonio Meade hailed the bill as containing a comprehensive vision for modifying the normative framework on immigration and a potential for improving the lives of millions of Mexicans living in the US. He added that Mexico has in the past expressed concerns over US measures that move away from the principles of shared responsibility and good neighborly relations. The immigration reform bill opens the door for the legalization and eventual granting of citizenship to undocumented immigrants in the US while also significantly strengthening border security.
Source: USA Hispanic Press | México promueve una “visión compartida” con Estados Unidos sobre migración
Source: Latin American Herald Tribune | Mexico Promotes a “Shared Vision” with U.S. on Immigration
28 June 2013
On 11 June 2013, the European Court of Human Rights decided unanimously to declare inadmissible ratione personae the application in the case of Stichting Mothers of Srebrenica and Others v. the Netherlands. The case concerned alleged violations of Articles 6 and 13 of the Convention by the Netherlands arising from the grant of immunity from national jurisdiction by Dutch courts to the United Nations in relation to a civil complaint lodged against the UN concerning the Srebrenica massacre. A parallel case against the State of the Netherlands is currently pending before the Hague District Court.
According to the Court, the foundation Mothers of Srebrenica was not itself affected by the matters complained of under Articles 6 and 13 and therefore had no standing before the Court. The Court nevertheless proceeded to assess the material claims of the applicants. It stated in that regard that, in the absence of an alternative remedy, the recognition of immunity does not ipso facto constitute a violation of the right of access to court, and concluded that the fact that the UN had not made provisions for appropriate modes of settlement was not imputable to the Netherlands.
Source: HUDOC | Stichting Mothers of Srebrenica and Others v. the Netherlands