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16 September 2024
In our latest research brief, 'Beyond Power and Politics: Engaging Russia in a Fractured Multilateral Order', Robin van der Lugt and Chhime Sherpa examine the role of and pathways towards accountability for Russia’s human rights violations.
A key argument in the research is that the international community’s traditional — and often overly idealistic — approaches to accountability may not be effective in the current geopolitical climate. Robin van der Lugt elaborates, 'While sanctions and legal actions may be justified and seem efficient, they may, in fact, reinforce perceptions of Western hostility and have little impact on changing Russia’s behaviour or promoting sustainable peace. Attempting to socialize antagonistic — and, most importantly, powerful — states is futile if the drivers of non-compliance remain underexplored.'
The authors argue that any approach must view the current human rights situation in Russia through the lens of its war with Ukraine and the historical context leading up to the 2022 invasion. Moreover, the pursuit of accountability for Russia’s human rights violations must be reimagined within a broader strategic framework. This requires acknowledging the interplay of geopolitics, narrative control, and the current shifting global order. Moving beyond exclusionary practices would create space for more innovative engagement that combines legal, diplomatic, and grassroots initiatives to advance human rights and foster sustainable peace.
Erica Harper, Head of Research and Policy Studies elaborated, 'The report explains that where the West really needs to do better is in fighting the narrative war. This will not end the conflict in Ukraine, nor will it solve the human rights situation inside and outside Russia. But it may delay the decline of multilateralism until the system can reconfigure itself in a way that has the confidence of member states, integrates workable peace and security arrangements, and promotes human rights.'
Wikimedia
Our latest research brief, 'Sending Up a Flare: Autonomous Weapons Systems Proliferation Risks to Human Rights and International Security' examines the proliferation of autonomous weapons systems and consequent risks to security and human rights.
Geneva Academy
Our recent Academy Briefing, 'The Human Rights Data Revolution', has garnered significant international recognition in recent months with presentations in Indonesia, Paraguay and at the United Nations in New York.
Wikimedia/Nirmal Dulal
In this online event, Salina Kafle, a human rights advocate supporting victims in their ongoing fight for justice, discusses the complexities of accountability in Nepal.
UN Photo/Manuel Elias
This online short course provides an introduction to the regime of sanctions under international law and their effectiveness in addressing contemporary forms of conflict. It addresses the questions related to state responsibility, the pacific settlement of international disputes and the role of the International Court of Justice.
Adobe
This initiative wishes to contribute to better and more coordinated implementation, reporting and follow-up of international human rights recommendations through a global study on digital human rights tracking tools and databases.
Victoria Pickering
This project aims at providing support to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Rights to Freedom of Peaceful Assembly and of Association Clément Voulé by addressing emerging issues affecting civic space and eveloping tools and materials allowing various stakeholders to promote and defend civic space.
Geneva Academy
Geneva Academy