The Economic and Human Rights Impacts of HIV/AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa

In 2022, thirty-nine million people were living with HIV/AIDS worldwide.[1] In the same calendar year, 630,000 people died of HIV-related illness.[2] Despite an increase in infections, myths persist about HIV, which leads to heavy stigma around the disease.[3] Governments and aid agencies alike have ramped up efforts to combat the epidemic in recent years.[4] The … Read more

The ICC and the Prosecution of Global Cyber War Crimes

In the modern world, cyber-attacks targeting vital infrastructure like power grids and healthcare facilities are an undeniable reality, overwhelmingly affecting the safety and well-being of citizens worldwide. These attacks have led stakeholders to demand action and guidance from international leaders and organizations in the form of a “Digital Geneva Convention.”[1]  However, this Digital Geneva Convention … Read more

Patent Policy: Balancing Incentives and Global Accessibility

For decades, pharmaceutical companies have maintained that patent protections are an essential component of scientific innovation.[1] In the U.S., a patent confers the right to exclude others from making, using, or selling the claimed invention for twenty years from the filing of the patent application.[2]  As drug prices continue to rise[3], this system raises ethical … Read more

The Immigration Implications of the United States’ Failure to Ratify the Most Widely Ratified Human Rights Treaty in the World: The Convention on the Rights of the Child

The Convention on the Rights of the Child (hereinafter “CRC”) recognizes “that the child, for the full and harmonious development of his or her personality, should grow up in a family environment, in an atmosphere of happiness, love and understanding”.[1] The CRC was entered into force on September 2, 1990, and 195 countries are currently … Read more

Children Shut Away: Disability Rights in Guatemala

One out of ten people in Guatemala have a disability.[1] Guatemala decided to take action after receiving a report from a study performed in 2005 revealing that “only 10 per cent of children with disabilities concluded primary school, 77 per cent did not have access to rehabilitation services and 53 per cent could not read … Read more

Pioneering AI Regulation: Analyzing the Impact of President Biden’s Executive Order on U.S. AI Policy

The United States, which is already considered the leading power in artificial intelligence (AI) technology, is now taking the lead in its regulation, with President Biden signing a far-reaching executive order on October 30, 2023.[1] The regulation is intended to be the first step in a “new era of regulation for the United States.”[2] With … Read more

Turkmenistan’s Prospective Emergence in the European Oil & Gas Market

Turkmenistan’s new leader Serdar Berdimuhamedow has recently expressed an interest in expanding Turkmenistan’s global economic policy in Europe through the oil and gas industry.[1]Turkmenistan is a reclusive, authoritarian nation, and the government exercises complete control over the media.[2] Berdimuhamedow’s true foreign policy goals are therefore opaque, and little is known about his motives besides what … Read more

UNCLOS and South China Sea Maritime Disputes: Legal Complexities and Interpretations

The South China Sea has long been a focal point of international concern, mired in maritime disputes that raise complex questions regarding territorial claims, freedom of navigation, and the interpretation of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). This essay delves into the multifaceted challenges presented by these disputes and the … Read more

The Crime of Poverty: Three Policy Approaches Across the Globe and the Need for New Strategies

The reasons that drive an individual to commit a crime are as complex and varied as the criminals themselves, but for a large percentage of people that reason is simply necessity.[1] Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights recognizes that all humans simply by virtue of their humanity deserve access to “a standard … Read more

An Educational Desert for the Rural (Kurdish) Women of Turkey

It is axiomatic that human and educational rights are inextricably intertwined. This belief is affirmed by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and further detailed in the Convention against Discrimination in Education.[1] The European Convention on Human Rights states the right to education bluntly, “No person shall be denied the right to education.”[2] This provision … Read more