In a historical year for global democratic elections, Romania’s presidential election is the latest European election to have elicited controversy. Days prior to the scheduled second round of voting, the country’s constitutional court annulled the results of the first round voting results. The constitutional court’s decision, which will necessitate a fresh vote, arose in response to the unforeseen success of far-right candidate Calin Georgescu and the potential Russian interference which may have accounted for this success. Specifically, the annulment stems from (now declassified) reports from the Romanian Supreme Council of National Defense (CSAT) and the Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT). Both bodies suggested that the first round of voting had been tainted by an extensive network of automated online accounts (bots) on TikTok, which sought to influence the election in Georgescu’s favour. Georgescu, a NATO sceptic and recipient of praise from Vladimir Putin, has labelled the Constitutional Court’s decision as a ‘formalised coup d’etat’ and attack on Romania’s democratic order. Conversely, outgoing Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu praised the court for adopting ‘the only correct solution after the declassification of the documents’, which he claims demonstrated a distortion of votes ‘as a result of Russia’s intervention.’
EJIL
Risk Management in Humanitarian International Organisations – EJIL: Talk! – Go Health Pro
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) held its 75th Executive Committee session from 14 October to 18 October 2024. Among many items on the agenda, the increasing commitment to risk management strategies adopted by the organisation was highlighted both in the opening statements by the High Commissioner and remarks by the Deputy High Commissioner for Protection. These references reiterated the ongoing commitment of the UNHCR to transforming its structure and conduct to have a stronger focus on region-specific, field-dominated concerns and managing risks on the ground more effectively. Reference to risk management by international organisations is not rare in the form of adoption of “enterprise risk management” strategies. Enterprise risk management (ERM) is a holistic risk management agenda that systematically analyses risks that could arise in the operations of international organisations, identifies potential damage and harms that might be faced by the organisation as a result, and creates a particular “risk appetite” which creates a space of operation whereby it is strategically advantageous or tolerable for the organisation to operate. While ERM is a holistic concept, encompassing multiple forms of risk, the international organisations’ literature mainly emphasises financial, operational, or political risks and demonstrates how the introduction of risk management strategies could potentially reshape organisational decision-making, where international organisations are moving away from operating with the clear boundaries set by the legal mandate of the organisation, to adopt more flexible, and potentially expansive operational spaces that are dynamically set by the potential risk appetite, and risk calculation for a particular domain. Hence, the proliferation of risk management strategies could potentially replace the delimitation of the international organisation’s functions by its legal mandate with risk calculations and make the organisation more prone to taking risks potentially engaging in conduct that is conventionally beyond its mandate.
Our Most Read Posts in 2024 (and Au Revoir) – EJIL: Talk! – Go Health Pro
I would like to wish our readers a very Happy New Year! One cannot but also wish the world a 2025 that is more peaceful than 2024. Unfortunately, armed conflict continued to rage in many parts of the world and, sadly, the hope expressed in my Happy New Year post of a year ago that 2024 would bring peace and comfort to the many in need of them proved to be in vain.
We published some blog statistics a few months ago showing the numbers of submissions we received and the numbers we accepted. What those statistics do not show was the very diverse range of topics which those blogposts cover. However, as was the case in 2022 (when the list of most read posts was dominated by the Russia-Ukraine war) and 2020 (when COVID related posts were at the top of the list) one thing has attracted the attention of our readers in 2024, and perhaps unsurprisingly, it is the tragic conflict in Gaza! Seventeen of the posts in our list of twenty most read posts in 2024 relate to legal issues arising from Israel’s military action in Gaza (and elsewhere in the middle east). These post cover issues arising from the law relating to the use of force (the jus ad bellum), international humanitarian law, the law and procedure of the International Court of Justice, the prohibition of genocide etc. Many thanks to our readers for turning to us for analysis of these and other issues, and to all those who submitted posts this year.
As I have reminded readers in previous years, this list contains those post which were viewed the most by readers in the year being surveyed (2024), even though some of them were published in previous years. This is why you will see some posts published in 2023 in the list. Indeed the No. 2 most read post in 2024 was the No. 1 most read post in 2023!
On a more personal note, this is my last post written as one of the editors of this blog. The blog started in December 2008 with me as the editor and it has been a huge privilege to work on the blog since then. However, after sixteen years as editor, the time has come to pass on the baton to others. I consider my work on this blog to have been one of the most important and useful things I have so far done as an international lawyer.
Christmas Day Cable Cuts in the Baltic Sea – EJIL: Talk! – Go Health Pro
In less than 14 months, submarine telecommunications cables connecting Estonia, Finland, Germany, Lithuania, Russia, and Sweden have been cut nine times in the Baltic Sea. In addition, an underwater electricity cable and a gas pipeline have been cut by a ship anchor. These damages occurred in three separate incidents all involving a foreign commercial ship … Read more
Legal issues arising from Israel’s conduct in North Gaza – EJIL: Talk! – Go Health Pro
Since the beginning of October 2024, the Israeli military has imposed a siege on significant parts of the North Gaza governorate amidst continued attacks and catastrophic humanitarian conditions. More than 100,000 Palestinians have been displaced as a result, while those unwilling or unable to leave have been deprived of water, food, and other indispensable means … Read more
