In early March, four Syrian men filed a lawsuit against Japan’s Ministry of Justice, challenging the rejection of their refugee applications. The group arrived in Japan in 2012 and applied for refugee status, citing the potential for persecution for their participation in pro-democracy protests against the Syrian government. The Ministry rejected their refugee status in … Read more
In the early days of April, the Islamic State (ISIS or ISIL) pushed closer to the center of Damascus, the Syrian capital, than they had been able to before. They did this by seizing the majority of the Al-Yarmouk camp, a large refugee district in the southern part of the city. The camp had once … Read more
In order to reevaluate its foreign policy approach, Germany conducted a review (“Review 2014”) last year. Review 2014 included multiple town hall meetings with German voters and debates among foreign policy experts around the world. Even during Review 2014, voters’ and experts’ opinions and approaches changed. Initially, the majority of German voters disagreed with the statement … Read more
“Without memory, there is no culture. Without memory, there would be no civilization, no society, no future.” – Elie Wiesel Over the course of human history, great and mighty civilizations have emerged, such as the Romans and Aztecs, only to fall to plague, pestilence or conquest. However, the lasting effects of these civilizations are the … Read more
This is the second blog post in a series of three blog posts discussing how the Chemical Weapons Convention prevents the use of chemical weapons through proactive measures by prohibiting both the use of and the preparation to use chemical weapons. The first blog post described key features of the Chemical Weapons Convention. This second … Read more
This is the first blog post in a series of three blog posts discussing how the Chemical Weapons Convention prevents the use of chemical weapons through proactive measures by prohibiting both the use of and the preparation to use chemical weapons. This first blog post describes key features of the Chemical Weapons Convention. The second … Read more
Russia’s recent annexation of Ukraine raises an interesting question: What is required for legal territory annexation or secession under international law? It is illegal under international law to annex territory by coercion or force, but the possibility remains that one country can annex the territory of another through “legal” means. Russia’s actions in annexing Crimea … Read more
On April 15, 2013, North Korea celebrated the 101st birthday of its founding leader, Kim Il Sung. The day was filled with flowers to honor both its founder and current leader, Kim Jong Un; however, North Korea did not take a reprieve from threatening South Korea and the United Nations. From Pyongyang, North Korea’s capital, the … Read more
Governmental leaders began meeting the week of March 18, 2013, to once again discuss the possibility of a U.N. Arms Trade Treaty (Arms Treaty) that would regulate the $60 billion global arms trade. The desire to create regulations governing the global trade of conventional arms arose in 2006. The General Assembly of the United Nations … Read more
Was Hurricane Sandy the result of global warming? Many scientists are reluctant to directly attribute this and other recent superstorms to global warming. However, it is very likely effects from climate change are influencing the severity of these storms. With the scientific world approaching a consensus that human activity is contributing to climate change, pressure … Read more
The Denver Journal of International Law & Policy is one of the oldest international law journals in the United States and is ranked internationally. It is managed and edited by students at the University of Denver Sturm College of Law.
