Morning Multilateralism

Wednesday, July 15 2020

• Clearing the air: Qatar prevails in International Court of Justice case centered on air blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia and several other countries. The ruling means that the dispute now moves to the International Civil Aviation Organization.

• The International Criminal Court’s latest trial opened in The Hague. In her opening statement, chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda accused the defendant and the Islamist forces he controlled of imposing a reign of terror in Timbuktu.

• In the wake of its South China Sea announcement, U.S. officials warn about the dangers of electing a Chinese judge to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

• The UN’s human rights chief, Michele Bachelet, criticized Venezuela’s judicial system. Her report concluded that “the independence of the justice system is considerably undermined due to insecurity of tenure of judges and prosecutors, the lack of transparency in the process of designation, precarious working conditions, and political interference.”

• An examination of what the mysterious explosion at an Iranian nuclear site will mean for the International Atomic Energy Agency’s monitoring efforts.

• Apple bites back: At the European Court of Justice, Apple prevails in its case against the European Commission. The case centered on the Commission’s accusations that the company received unfair tax benefits in Ireland.

• The United Nations-African Union mission attempts to tamp down new violence in North Darfur. The hybrid mission in Darfur comprises some 4000 troops and several hundred police officers.

• Nigeria’s Ngozi Okonjo Iweala picks up support in the race to lead the World Trade Organization.