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The mistake we’ve been staring at for 450 years.
What does human rights have to do with a trigger? . If you’re an IR or IL Student you’re going to want to save this post for later 🧠 . For Global South states within human rights law, the “trigger” is more than a metaphor. . It relates to a mechanism that can be pulled when a state falls out of line, activating scrutiny, condemnation, isolation or other forms of international pressure. . And there’s institutional memory to draw from here. The former UN Commission on Human Rights was repeatedly criticised for politicisation, selectivity and double standards, criticisms that helped shape the creation of the Human Rights Council in 2006. . For many Global South states, and within TWAIL, the question is about who gets to define, enforce and operationalise and with what political consequences? Because after all, intergovernmental organizations are made up of the states, and therefore the global hierarchy that they give way too. . So the concern being expressed is if human rights protection can also become a technology of control? If the trigger protecting human rights, is also intended to control the state it is pointed at? #perspectivesouth #2sidestoeverystory #internationallaw #itsadevelopingstory #internationalrelations
What does a ‘trigger’ have to do with Human Rights?
Cuba has lived under a U.S. economic, commercial and financial embargo for more than six decades, with significant consequences for its economy and everyday life. Yet, despite prolonged external economic pressure, Cuba has developed remarkable domestic capacities in fields such as biotech and medicine, including creation of its own COVID-19 vaccines. . Parallels can be observed in Iran, where decades of sanctions have simultaneously imposed severe economic costs and encouraged forms of economic adaptation and domestic production. The issue of unilateral sanctions also raises a deeper question that we at Perspective South are constantly asking: are such measures primarily humanitarian instruments intended to change state behaviour? or is it a form of political coercion, designed to generate sufficient societal hardship to destabilise structures, peoples and ultimately their governments? . If you missed part I, head to our feed now & catch it there. . #perspectivesouth #2sidestoeverystory #internationallaw #cuba #sanctions *Educational & Non-Profit Use Only: Historical images used under Fair Use/Fair Dealing provisions (Section 11, Sri Lanka IP Act No. 36 of 2003 & Section 107 US Copyright Act) for civic education and commentary. No copyright infringement intended.
The use of Sanctions & who it hurts the most.
A new New York Times report on a CIA task force focused on Cuba may sound unprecedented, but covert operations against Cuba have a history spanning more than six decades, beginning with efforts surrounding the failed Bay of Pigs invasion. Former CIA officer and whistleblower Philip Agee offers a rare window into this world. In his accounts, Agee described how his personal encounters, including a woman whose political convictions challenged his own, forced him to question assumptions he had long accepted as truth, ultimately contributing to his decision to expose CIA operations across Latin America. . These included economic warfare and covert efforts designed to make governments appear incompetent and erode public confidence in them. As Cuba currently finds its way through yet another complicated moment, it’s also important to reflect that in covert operations, the public (all of us) rarely see or may ever truly know, the whole picture. Sometimes, we only know the pieces, because someone on the inside, decided to reveal them. . Don’t forget to catch Part 2 on our feed. . #perspectivesouth #2sidestoeverystory #cuba #nytimes #internationallaw Educational & Non-Profit Use Only: Historical images used under Fair Use/Fair Dealing provisions (Section 11, Sri Lanka IP Act No. 36 of 2003 & Section 107 US Copyright Act) for civic education and commentary. No copyright infringement intended.
25 August 2026
The curious case of Imran Khan: selectivity, altruism or geopolitics in human rights monitoring? . Update on 18/08/26 : a Pakistan court has now ordered that Imran Khan be moved to a hospital. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan has been incarcerated since August 2023. His sons, Sulaiman and Kasim Khan, have increasingly taken their campaign for access to their father to the international arena, with Kasim stating in July that they had not heard their father’s voice since their last contact in March. Concerns have also been raised internationally over Khan’s detention conditions and access to medical care. . But we’re not looking at this story primarily in human rights terms. Although those questions are deeply important. Instead, we’re looking to examine a broader question concerning human rights, international politics, the exercise of power & selectivity. . For instance both administrations of the US have taken a markedly more restrained approach to the issue than they often exercise toward Global South countries. . Which raises the question of; to what extent are human-rights policies driven by altruism or a set principle in international law, and to what extent are they mediated by strategic interests, alliances and geopolitical calculations? For more deets & perspective: Extended video now out on YouTube #perspectivesouth #2sidestoeverystory #internationallaw #imrankhan #humanrights #us #pakistan @ImranKhanOfficialChannel
The Curious case of Imran Khan: Altruism or Geopolitics in human rights.
#perspectivesouth #2sidestoeverystory #unhrc #un #internationalrelations #internationallaw #humanrights #twail
What does this statement have to do with the UN Human Rights Council?
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