Human Rights | Council on Foreign Relations

China

China’s Repression of Uighurs in Xinjiang

More than a million Muslims have been arbitrarily detained in China’s Xinjiang Province. The reeducation camps are just one part of the government’s crackdown on Uighurs.

Backgrounder by Lindsay Maizland November 25, 2019
South Africa

Protest Camp Outside UNHCR in South Africa Removed by Police

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has ended a sit-in at the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) compound in the capital, Pretoria. Some two hundred people have been arrested, according to…

Blog Post by John Campbell November 22, 2019 Africa in Transition
Russia

Disinformation Colonialism and African Internet Policy

Russia’s recent disinformation campaign in African countries highlights the challenges that African states face in crafting internet policy that is responsive to both external threats and internal political dynamics. African countries will likely not push back against Russian disinformation campaigns, but rather will try to exploit the campaigns for their own international and domestic political goals.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for Net Politics November 21, 2019 Digital and Cyberspace Policy Program

Women and Women's Rights

STEMinism

Women and girls are excluded from career paths in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). This gender gap is causing the world to lose out on “the genius of half the population,” according to former U.S. Chief Technology Officer Megan Smith.

Podcast with Gabrielle Sierra, Megan Smith, Meighan Stone and Rachel B. Vogelstein November 20, 2019 Why It Matters
Hong Kong

How Is Congress Trying to Support the Hong Kong Protesters?

If passed, a new bill would signal U.S. support for the protesters and put pressure on China’s leaders.

In Brief by Lindsay Maizland November 18, 2019
Women and Women's Rights

Five Questions on Feminist Foreign Policy: Margot Wallström

This blog post is part of the Women and Foreign Policy program’s interview series on Gender Equality in Foreign Policy, featuring global and U.S. officials leading initiatives to promote gender equality in the defense, development, and diplomatic sectors.

Blog Post by Rachel B. Vogelstein November 18, 2019 Women Around the World
Tanzania

Tanzania, Where Magufuli Is Waging a War on Democracy

Jeffrey Smith is the founding director of Vanguard Africa, a nonprofit organization that partners with African leaders to advocate for free and fair elections and ethical leadership. On November 7…

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for John Campbell November 15, 2019 Africa in Transition
South Africa

What’s Behind South Africa’s Recent Violence?

Recent attacks that appeared to target immigrants have underscored South Africa’s struggle to combat violence and limit tensions with the rest of the region.

In Brief by John Campbell November 15, 2019
Sri Lanka

Human Rights and the Sri Lankan Election

Sri Lanka will hold its presidential election on November 16. In the decade since the end of its long-running internal conflict, lack of progress on human rights, reconciliation, and accountability h…

Blog Post by Alyssa Ayres November 15, 2019 Asia Unbound
Nigeria

Nigerian Police Use Live Ammunition Against Peaceful Demonstrators

Nigerian media is reporting that on November 12, the Nigerian police fired live bullets to disperse those protesting the continued imprisonment of Nigerian journalist Omeyele Sowore. The media descri…

Blog Post by John Campbell and Jack McCaslin November 13, 2019 Africa in Transition
United States

CFR Fellows’ Book Launch Guest Event: Building A Resilient Tomorrow

Alice C. Hill and Leonardo Martinez-Diaz discuss their new book, Building A Resilient Tomorrow: How To Prepare For The Coming Climate Disruption. Decision-makers at all levels of government and business have been actively seeking ways to help communities build resilience to the impacts of climate change. In their book, Hill and Martinez-Diaz offer concrete, actionable policy recommendations and behind-the-scenes stories from their personal experiences in the U.S. government.

Event with Alice C. Hill and Leonardo Martinez-Diaz November 6, 2019
U.S. Foreign Policy

What Would "Restraint" Really Mean for U.S. Foreign Policy?

Proponents of restraint need to clarify what the term means, how to implement it, and its implications for U.S. national interests and world order.

Blog Post by Stewart M. Patrick November 4, 2019 The Internationalist
Nigeria

The UN Should Speak Up About the Unlawful Detention of Journalists in Nigeria

Ademola Bello is a Nigerian journalist and playwright. He received his master’s from the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. On September 24, President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria d…

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for John Campbell November 1, 2019 Africa in Transition
Colombia

Women This Week: First Female Mayor of Bogota

Welcome to “Women Around the World: This Week,” a series that highlights noteworthy news related to women and U.S. foreign policy. This week’s post, covering October 25 to November 1, was compiled by Yuxin Lei and Rebecca Turkington.

Blog Post by Guest Blogger for the Women and Foreign Policy Program November 1, 2019 Women Around the World
Cybersecurity

How Much Cyber Sovereignty is Too Much Cyber Sovereignty?

China has championed the idea of 'cyber sovereignty'. While the U.S. and its allies have long opposed this concept, it has become more attractive to some countries as a way of managing cyber threats and mass demonstrations. These developments urge us to question: how much cyber sovereignty is too much cyber sovereignty?

Blog Post by Justin Sherman October 30, 2019 Net Politics