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** SPOTLIGHT
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Credit: Jonathan Ernst / Reuters

‘The Board of Peace’ and threats to democracy

President Trump’s launch of the so-called ‘Board of Peace’ at Davos last week was a clear effort to undermine the United Nations and the values it has defended and promoted for decades.

Initially based on a UN‑authorised mechanism to oversee reconstruction and interim governance in Gaza following two years of devastating conflict, the Board’s scope quickly expanded into a new ‘international peace-building body’.

The Board includes several leaders with more than questionable human rights records. Donald Trump invited Israel, but the invitation was not extended to Palestine. With no representatives of Palestine on the Gaza Executive Board the body appears to completely disregard Palestinian people’s right to self-determination.

The Board politicises peace-making and undermines decades of global efforts to ensure such processes remain multilateral and impartial.

Peace without respect for human rights and freedom of expression can only ever be an illusion. Any credible peace initiatives must uphold international law, and be based on transparency, access to information, and accountability – values that the UN system, despite its flaws, was created to uphold.

As states like Russia, Belarus, and Saudi Arabia become signatories to the latest US project designed to systematically weaken international law and the systems that enforce it, it is vital that others stand firm, affirming their commitment to international law and a stronger UN. The erosion and fragmentation of the multilateralism system, done in pursuit of narrow economic and political interest, must be rejected.


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ALSO IN THE NEWS

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21 days into Iran’s blackout, the world must know the truth

As Iran enters the 21st day of almost full internet shutdown ([link removed]) , the full scale of human rights abuses during protests across the country remains unknown.


Since protests began in late December, authorities have used disproportionate and lethal force against the people of Iran: independent monitoring and rights groups report that at least 22,000 people are feared dead and more than 40,000 have been detained ([link removed]) .

The shutdown, which began on 8 January, conceals authorities’ excessive use of force and obstructs documentation of killings, arrests, and other serious violations that likely amount to crimes against humanity ([link removed]) . In many areas, even basic digital communication remains blocked, hindering people’s ability to contact family, access vital services, or share independent accounts of events.

Last Friday, ARTICLE 19 delivered a statement at the UN Human Rights Council's special session on the deteriorating situation in Iran, calling for urgent measures to ensure accountability for repeated crimes under international law, and to apply diplomatic pressure on Iranian authorities to stop the bloodshed and restore access to the internet.


The international community must continue to speak up for the people of Iran and their human rights.

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