Association of World Citizens (AWC)

Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons: Need for New Common Security Approaches By René Wadlow Hiroshima, Japan, August 6, 1945. Government representatives and some Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) are participating from July 22 to August 2, 2024 in Geneva, Switzerland in …

World Court: Focus on Palestinian Territories By René Wadlow At a time when Palestinians in the Occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip are under violent tensions, on July 19, the International Court of Justice (the World Court), published an Ad…

World Court Finds Israel Responsible for Apartheid The International Court of Justice (ICJ) issued an advisory opinion on July 19, 2024, with significant consequences for human rights protections in Palestine under Israel’s 57-year occupation. The opinion stems from a December 2022 request by the United Nations General Assembly to the court to con...

Sudan Conflict Grows Worse as UN Security Council Appeals Fall on Deaf Ears By René Wadlow On June 13, 2024, the United Nations (UN) Security Council called for an end to the siege on El Fasher, the capital of the North Darfur Province of Sudan. The Council requested all p…

‘You can’t fight your way to peace’: from a 20-year-old Israeli to a 99-year-old Briton, eight conscientious objectors on why they refused to serve in the army Military service for 18-year-olds is a key Tory election pledge in the UK. But in countries with conscription, opting out comes at a heavy cost – ostracisation, fines and time in prison

Somalia wins UN Security Council seat - and why it matters It is hailed as a significant step for the country after years of civil war.

Afghanistan: The Birds Will Not Fly By René Wadlow The founder of the Baha’i faith Baha’u’llah wrote, “The world of humanity is possessed of two wings, the male and the female. So long as these two wings are not equ…

Three Mozambican women’s stories of enslavement by jihadist insurgents They are trying to rebuild their lives despite a lack of assistance.

International Criminal Court: Upholding International Humanitarian Law By René Wadlow Karim Khan, chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC), on May 20, 2024 announced that he had formally applied for arrest warrants for leaders of the Israeli governm…

ICC seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Hamas leaders for crimes against humanity The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Monday applied for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top Hamas leaders on suspicion of war crimes and crimes…

Kanaky New Caledonia: French authorities must uphold rights of the Indigenous Kanak people amid unrest Responding to ongoing unrest in the non-self-governing French territory of Kanaky New Caledonia after the French Parliament adopted a bill changing the territory’s voting rules, Amnesty International’s Pacific Researcher Kate Schuetze said: “The state of emergency declared by the French govern...

Start to Dangerous Regression of Liberty in Georgia: A Situation to Watch Closely By René Wadlow Despite strong protests from Georgian Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) and street protests for three weeks in the capital Tbilisi, the Georgian Parliament adopted on May 14, 2024…

Unrwa closes East Jerusalem compound after attacks The head of the UN agency says the perimeter of its building was set fire to twice on Thursday.

Rafah, Gaza Strip: A Human Catastrophe in the Making By René Wadlow “I am disturbed and distressed by the renewed military activity in Rafah by the Israeli Defense Forces. Make no mistake – a full-scale assault on Rafah would be a human c…

Liberia's President Joseph Boakai to set up first war crimes court An estimated 250,000 people were killed in Liberia's two civil wars between 1989 and 2003.

The Uprooted By René Wadlow Increasing numbers of people in countries around the world have been forced from their homes by armed conflicts and systematic violations of human rights. Those who cross internation…

Rwanda Genocide: The Lasting Consequences of Armed Violence By René Wadlow On April 7, 2024, Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda, lit the memorial flame of the monument to the victims of the 1994 genocide during which some 800,000 persons, mostly ethnic Tutsi,…

The AWC Meets ChangeNow In 2024

Anatomy of Marielle Franco’s murder: the plot, assassination, red herrings and a sabotaged investigation Two corrupt politicians and a police commissioner from Rio de Janeiro are arrested as the masterminds of the 2018 crime

🔴 Live: UN Security Council for first time passes resolution calling for ‘immediate’ Gaza ceasefire The UN Security Council on Monday demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, its first demand to halt fighting in the Palestinian enclave. The US abstained from…

🔴Live: Spanish aid ship Open Arms reaches Gaza coast with 200 tonnes of food The Spanish aid vessel Open Arms carrying 200 tonnes of food destined for Gaza reached the besieged territory’s coast on Friday. The aid comes as the United Nations has repeatedly warned of famine in…

Should 'gender apartheid' be an international crime? | Context Ahead of International Women's Day, here's how women's rights campaigners want to criminalise oppression from Afghanistan to Iran

France enshrines abortion as a constitutional right in historic vote French lawmakers on Monday voted to anchor the right to abortion in the country's constitution, in a global first that has garnered overwhelming public support.