Rui Johnson Petri

Just published: Business and Human Rights Primer for Government Mission Personnel. (https://lnkd.in/eX2xJV5A) Shift Project's latest Primer is for "all Government mission personnel – from diplomats to embassy, mission, and agency staff – whatever their responsibilities, and wherever they work. The Primer provides an overview of business and human rights and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. Crucially, it includes practical resources to help mission personnel meaningfully engage with the business and human rights issues that arise in the field." Building on Shift's work with governments to implement the UN Guiding Principles, this resource can help to strengthen BHR teaching and training among government mission personnel worldwide. Robert McCorquodale Michael Posner Humberto Cantú Rivera Dorothee Baumann-Pauly Surya Deva Carolina Olarte-Bácares Beata F. Olena Uvarova Nadia Bernaz Rachel Chambers Meg Roggensack Jordyn Arndt Annamari Tornikoski Mairead Keigher Rachel Davis Jenny Stein Mark Hodge Claire Bright Nina Gardner Mark Wielga Salil Tripathi Liz Umlas

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Today, the International Republican Institute's International Election Observation Mission (IEOM) released its final report on Georgia’s parliamentary elections, which includes a series of key findings and 31 recommendations. The IRI mission concludes that Georgia’s parliamentary elections were fundamentally flawed due to a legal framework and regulatory practices that hindered genuine electoral competition, misuse of public resources by the ruling government, the targeting of civil society, obstruction of opposition parties, systematic voter intimidation, and lack of public confidence and trust in institutions. The IRI mission found that numerous factors negatively impacted Georgia’s electoral process and cast serious doubts on the election's credibility. Moreover, the mission observed significant and systematic irregularities in the electoral process, highlighting four primary areas of concern: 1. inequitable conditions and misuse of state resources; 2. suppression of civil society and opposition parties, and systematic voter intimidation; 3. state capture of electoral and judicial institutions; and 4. public rejection of election results. The parliamentary elections revealed a decline of genuine political competition that risks state capture by one party, with no ability for democratic political parties to compete on a level playing field. The IRI mission found that numerous factors heavily marred the process and cast serious doubts on the election's credibility. The observations of the IRI mission underscore an urgent need for coherent and comprehensive election reforms to address weaknesses in the legal, administrative, and institutional framework governing elections. For the Executive Summary, or the full report, follow this link: https://lnkd.in/d-kECj7c

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🛡️ On the heels of consequential elections in Britain and France, and the #NATOSummit, GMF experts Gesine Weber and Alexandra de Hoop Scheffer, PhD argue that it is time for those two nations to lead on defense and transform NATO from "a U.S.-dominated alliance into a truly balanced transatlantic partnership," in a new op ed. https://bit.ly/4cXrEXh

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🆕 Brief | How should the EU respond to #Georgia's drift towards authoritarianism? In this critical analysis, Ondrej Ditrych highlights Georgia—a candidate for EU membership—as a 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐜𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲 amid rising authoritarianism. With regional powers vying for influence, the EU’s response will not only shape Georgia’s future but also impact the broader Eastern Neighbourhood. 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐔 𝐝𝐨? Rather than settling for minor concessions, the #EU must respond with greater resolve, using the ‘3Ps’ framework: ➤ 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: Sanctions targeting key power players. ➤ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞: Support for civil society, media, and democratic institutions. ➤ 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞: Push for genuine reforms to safeguard liberty and the rule of law. 🤔 What steps should the EU prioritise to support democracy in Georgia? Let’s discuss below! 👉 Read the full publication: https://lnkd.in/gQ4sCZNT

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As part of our #China and Conflict Mediation series, Senior Fellow Barnett R. Rubin takes a deep dive into China's approach to #Afghanistan through different periods of the country's conflicts and degrees of international legitimacy. Read the full chapter ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/eAmFr6fp

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When it comes to the dark money special interests pushing #vouchers and fighting #abortion rights, the Venn diagram is a circle. Why? Read our newest blog chronicling these extremist policies and the dangerous agenda they fuel: bit.ly/VoucherConnection

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Bloomberg highlights our new Border Security & Management Framework. Our framework includes proposals on asylum, human smuggling safeguards, border operations updates, and more. Read our framework here: https://bit.ly/49PRLxp https://bit.ly/3WdI2hp

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'The multilateral system, in short, is failing right at the time we need it to respond to a world in which major state conflict is back and nations are testing international rules and the institutions themselves', write Olivia N. and Justin Bassi.

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#StrongCitiesSpotlight: Novi Pazar 🇷🇸 is facing challenges related to local manifestations of extremism & ideologies that discourage active political engagement & erode trust in democracy Swipe to learn how the city is responding to address these security concerns and read the City Spotlight: bit.ly/4eRD0Om

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🚨 New Special Report: Georgia's "Foreign Agents Law" - Implications for Democracy and Regional Security 🇬🇪 At Riley Risk, we've just released an in-depth analysis of Georgia's controversial "Law on Transparency of Foreign Influence" and its potential impact on: ✅ Civil liberties and democratic institutions ✅ EU and NATO integration aspirations ✅ Regional security dynamics ✅ NGO operations and international development efforts This comprehensive report offers: ✅ Historical context ✅ Current situation analysis ✅ Future outlook ✅ Actionable recommendations for NGOs and international entities Developed by our Geopolitical & Security Analysis team, led by Dr. Marko Filijovic, with support from our Special Advisor Dr. Treston Wheat, PhD, this report brings you expert insights and analysis. Stay ahead of geopolitical shifts and security challenges. Read our full report and get FREE access to RileySENTINEL for global insights, or contact our team for more in-depth analysis and support: https://lnkd.in/dBBrJp2S #GeopoliticalRisk #InternationalSecurity #Georgia #RiskManagement #RileySENTINEL #NGOSecurity #HigherRiskSupport

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🆕 Senior Fellow Zachary Paikin writes that "even as fighting goes on and support for #Ukraine continues, it is not too early to lay the groundwork for successful diplomacy. This requires internalizing that deterrence will not succeed without reassurance, that security will not return to #Europe if mutual recriminations take the place of genuine diplomacy." 👉 Read: https://lnkd.in/e_83SDEv #internationalrelations #internationalaffairs #foreignpolicy #foreignaffairs #geopolitics #defence #diplomacy #internationalsecurity

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The situation in #Georgia should be receiving more international public attention than it currently does. As a #publicdiplomacy scholar, this article is a small contribution on my part to spread the message among scholars and practitioners from around the world in the public diplomacy sphere.

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Last month, GIFCT worked with BSR to convene an expert discussion on practical human rights-based approaches to preventing terrorists and violent extremists from exploiting digital platforms. The United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, ARTICLE 19, and BSR weighed in alongside GIFCT on the following questions: ▶ What does having a #humanrights policy mean in practice for companies? ▶ What does human rights due diligence in the context of #counterterrorism and violent extremism online mean in practice? ▶ How should human rights be factored into the definitions of terrorism and violent extremism, and the use of designation lists? Here's a summary of the panel, including links to further resources: https://lnkd.in/gGMSg-Td

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Can the deprivation of nationality be used as an effective way to #CounterTerrorism? In this analysis, Tanya Mehra looks at how #European countries deploy this measure, the #humanrights implications, and its effectiveness in countering #terrorism. ➡️https://buff.ly/444jokW

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Is the resurgence of ISIS in Iraq unlikely? In this Policy Brief, Kamaran Palani analyses the decreasing of sectarian grievances in Iraq and how it potentially diminishes the community support for ISIS and other violent forms of violent extremism compared to the post-2003 period. Read the full Brief here ➡️

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As millions of U.S. voters head to the polls A, the impact of disinformation on democracy and reproductive rights extends far beyond American borders. Learn more about how our partnership with the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development (AIBD) is confronting these challenges head-on, promoting accurate, rights-based reporting that amplifies crucial #SRHRJ issues in the region. #USElection2024 #Disinformation #Democracy #ReproductiveRights #AsiaPacific #MediaMatters #Election2024 #SRHR4ALL Tomoko Fukuda International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) https://lnkd.in/g273X7Ds

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My new piece for the CER on the upcoming elections in Georgia and Moldova. In summary: the EU is in a competition for geopolitical influence that it can’t afford to lose.

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Though published nearly one month ago, this piece captures many of the risks and challenges in Georgia's current political climate. The points hold today, and will remain relevant from now through the forthcoming parliamentary elections. Worth the read. https://lnkd.in/ddmNT_G4

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📢 Check out articles in Volume XVIII, Issue 2 of Perspectives on Terrorism; take a closer look at how military service intersects and interacts with far-right extremism, how militant groups choose between logistical needs and ideology, and much more! ➡️

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