Transnational Bodies

OSCE Office Reviews Draft Austrian Law on Online “Responsibility”

June 05, 2019

In a recent legal review of a draft Austrian Law on Diligence and Responsibility Online, the Office of the Media Freedom Representative of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) expressed concern with potential chilling effects of mandates on service providers to perform “quasi-law-enforcement” functions with regard to content.
IMF Reviews Contributions to SDG Agenda

June 05, 2019

The Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) recently reviewed the implementation of IMF commitments to help fulfill the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), finding in several areas, such as engagement with countries on climate change, that the institution had delivered on key SDG issues.
World Bank Issues “Sustainable” Bond on Food Waste

June 05, 2019

New Sustainable Development Bonds issued by the World Bank and finance company Okasan Securities to fund projects aimed at combating food waste illustrate the growing ecosystem of such green financial instruments seeking to implement the UN’s broad “sustainable development” agenda.
Lawyers File ICC Complaint over EU Migration Policies

June 04, 2019

A group of lawyers has filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) calling on the body to open a case against leaders in the EU over their handling of African migrants, blaming European officials for “triggering” the migrant crisis and perpetrating a “lethal and organized attack” against civilians.
Paper Proposes New Global Governance Model for Refugees

June 04, 2019

Two academics have offered a proposal for a “regime-wide governance model” to handle global refugee issues that includes “authoritative and legitimate monitoring, enforcement and accountability mechanisms” to force governments to comply with transnational refugee policies.
WHO Wins Trans Fat Commitment from Trade Group

June 03, 2019

In May, the World Health Organization (WHO) celebrated a commitment from the International Food and Beverage Alliance trade association to adopt a WHO target to remove all industrially produced trans fat products from the world’s food supply by 2023.
World Bank Launches $50 Million “Climate-Smart” Mining Fund

June 03, 2019

In May, the World Bank established a Climate-Smart Mining Facility trust fund seeking $50 million to promote a climate-friendly mining regulatory framework in developing countries and seek to ensure mining companies are “managed in a way that minimizes [their] environmental and climate footprint.”
Latin American Countries Criticize IACHR Overreach

May 30, 2019

In April, five governments of Latin American countries presented a declaration to the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights (IACHR) warning that the Commission and related bodies are intruding on national sovereignty to implement their evolving conception of the global human rights agenda in the Americas.
OSCE Delegation Observes Climate “Security Risks”

May 29, 2019

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe’s (OSCE) Parliamentary Assembly recently sent a delegation to the Arctic to observe the “security risks” posed by global warming throughout the OSCE region.
WHO Treaty Body Supports Brazilian Tobacco Suit

May 29, 2019

A statement from the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control supporting the Brazilian government’s attempt to recover money from tobacco companies for social and economic costs of their products highlights the organization’s intervention in domestic legal disputes.