Spokesman Books

A new UN report mentions our colleague Dexter Whitfield, from his 2010 work Global Auction of Public Assets . The report, entitled Public-Private Partnerships and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Fit for purpose? , references Dexter on page 1: 'Whitfield (2010) provided a survey of PPPs around the world, showing how the model has been adapted to the economic, political and legal environments of different countries in Europe, North America, Australia, Russia, China, India and Brazil. It also examined the growing secondary market in PPP investments, “buying and selling schools and hospitals like commodities in a global supermarket” (p. 183) as well as the increasing number of PPP failures, usually as a result of investors’ “miscalculations; states pick up the tab when they walk away”. It found cases of deceptive techniques of assessing value for money (VfM) and manipulations of risk transfer so that PPPs appear to out-perform traditional public provision...

Ambassador Duarte kindly sent the Russell Foundation his thoughts on a notable date.     26 September 2015 International Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons SERGIO DUARTE Former UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs Sculpture depicting St. George slaying the dragon. The dragon is created from fragments of Soviet SS-20 and United States Pershing nuclear missiles. Credit: UN Photo/Milton Grant Debate on nuclear disarmament is starting again at the United Nations in New York. A number of activities marked the International Day of Peace on 21 September, and more are scheduled for the forthcoming International Day for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons, on Monday 26 September 2015. High-level discussions at the 2016 Session of the General Assembly will focus on the one of the most pressing global issues of our time: how to take forward multilateral nuclear disarmament negotiations. A proposal to establish an Open Ended Work Group t...

Sergio Duarte held the post of United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs from 2007-2012. He has shared with us his document Reflections on the Iran Agreement , which we blog here. *** Reflections on the Iran Agreement Sergio Duarte  Ambassador, former United Nations High Representative for Disarment Affairs Despite the alarmist claims from some quarters that the agreement achieved between Iran and the P5+1 is fatally flawed, the majority of the international community and public opinion worldwide received it favorably and with renewed hope. The JCPOA was hailed as a positive step as it underscores the resolve of the parties concerned to allay suspicions about the nature of the Iranian nuclear program and enhances the existing instruments of international law regarding the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Strict adherence to its provisions by all Parties concerned will help prevent a nuclear arms race in the Middle East and contribute to greater confid...

Israel's systematic attacks on civilians to be examined by the Russell Tribunal on Palestine 24-25 September – Brussels – Albert Hall, Brussels   www. russelltribunalonpalestine. com/en/   For immediate release   Wednesday September 17 th     The Russell Tribunal's extraordinary session on Gaza will examine Israeli attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure during 'Operation Protective Edge' in July and August of this year.   Human Rights Watch recently accused Israel of committing war crimes in a report analysing three attacks on schools in Jabalya, Beit Hanoun and Rafah. The attacks killed 45 people, including 17 children.   This is not the first time that a human rights probe has made such claims. United Nations and Amnesty International investigations have also found evidence of war crimes and crimes against humanity.   According to the United Nations, 2,131 Palestinians were kil...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                      Contact: Scott Campbell: +510-295-8843 (US) Jamal Juma’ (Stop the Wall): +970-598921821 (Palestine)   8 July 2014                                                    On 10 th Anniversary of Historic Ruling against Israel’s Wall, Legal Scholars call on world to act   As protests continue in Palestine, worldwide events to stop Israeli impunity; At the UN, 86 top legal experts urge UN and third-state action   Leading international jurists and legal networks from all continents, among them UN special Rapporteurs, acting and former judges, leading law professors as well...

There has been widespread acclaim, particularly from Palestinians, for musician Roger Waters' compelling speech at the UN, on 29 Novermber 2012, in support of Palestine's succesful application for enhanced status. Roger serves on the jury of the Russell Tribunal on Palestine, to which he refers in his address. Roger Waters's speech on behalf of Russell Tribunal at the UN on 29 November is now available online. Watch it here: http://youtu.be/9DrSPFYXUfQ

Professor Richard Falk is the UN's respected rapporteur on Palestinian Human Rights. He is well worth reading. The Latest Gaza Catastrophe: Will They Ever Learn? by Richard Falk – TRANSCEND Media Service [ This post is an updated version of an article published in the online English edition of Al Jazeera, 17 Nov 2012, taking account of some further developments in the new horrifying unfolding of violence in Gaza .] President Obama, upon his arrival today in Bangkok at the start of a state visit to several Asian countries, reminded the world of just how unconditional U.S. support for Israel remains. Obama was quoted as saying, “There is no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside of its borders. We are fully supportive of Israel’s right to defend itself.” Much is missing from such a sentiment, most glaringly, the absence of any balancing statement along the following line: “and no country would tolerate the periodic assassinati...