The guerrillas are not alone in using violence to control territory. As their presence and power have expanded, so have the illegal selfdefense organizations, also known as paramilitaries, dedicated to eradicating the insurgency. The autodefensas, or self-defense groups, are the third party in Colombia’s three-sided civil conflict.1 Local armed self-defense groups have developed throughout Colo...

Overview Diversion is the unauthorized transfer of arms and ammunition from the stocks of legal users to the illicit market. Throughout the world, it sustains the activities of non-state armed groups, terrorist organizations, and armed criminality. It is one of the principal sources of illicit weaponry and represents a grave threat to the safety of civilian populations, as well as to the securi...

In 1785 and 1786, Massachusetts fell into economic depression. When the state government responded with fiscal restraint, many landowning farmers, particularly in the central and western portions of the state, fell behind on loan and tax payments and faced possible foreclosures. Town meetings produced demands for legislative action to protect the vulnerable landowners. The government instead pr...

This issue brief provides a brief overview of the legal, political, and operational frameworks protecting children from the effects of armed conflict, notably from violations by nonstate armed groups. It explores some of the limitations of these frameworks and their mechanisms, and then discusses ways to maximize the comparative advantages of different actors when engaging nonstate armed groups...

Efforts to thwart the trafficking of conflict commodities finance wars constitute an ongoing endeavour. As specific approaches become effective for certain commodities, belligerent actors pursue new forms exploitation. The housing, land and property (HLP) rights in war zones has now reached a pervasiveness, lucrativeness severity warrant significant attention on derivation countermeasures. This...

this article outlines the questionable role of non-state law that is based on globalization and rise of private law making. proponents of non-state law believe that there are numerous private legislators which make legal rules that govern large groups. the article examines troubled concept of non-state law and its shortcomings and benefits. it considers non-state law by theoretical and empirica...

Over the last decade, changes in nature of conflict have generated profound operational challenges for international humanitarian organizations. The number non-international armed conflicts doubled between 2001 and 2016, rising from fewer than 30 to more 70. groups fighting them has also multiplied: emerged decade previous century. Humanitarian organizations struggle assist victims these persua...

Child soldiers–two simple words that describe a world of atrocities committed against children. These children remain hidden from the public attention about their rights and rehabilitation in the mainstream society. Governments have failed to prevent the use of children by proxy forces. On the contrary, some governments continue to recruit under-18 year olds in to national armies exposing them ...

Abstract This report provides a summary of symposium on independent advice public international law, organized by the Dutch Advisory Committee Public International Law (CAVV) 19th January 2023 in The Hague. speakers highlighted internationally unique character CAVV, which is formal body, established advising Government (Cabinet and Parliament) questions law. CAVV reflects traditional culture br...