By Phillip Yu

The European Union has promised Ukraine $693 million a year of trade relief to compensate for bankruptcy and the deployment of Russian troops in Crimea. This trade relief is part of a larger E.U. aid package which could total over 11 billion euros over the next seven years. The Crimea crisis itself has prompted the EU to suspend visa and trade talks with Russia and threaten sanctions against Russian officials. For the relief to take effect by June, the E.U. Parliament must act quickly and approve no later than the week of April 14.

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March 13, 2014

By Elizabeth Gibson*

Deputy High Commissioner T. Alexander Aleinikoff

The United Nations’ refugee agency knows how to set up refugee camps, but finding long-term solutions to get refugees out of those camps is not easy.

The Deputy High Commissioner of UNHCR, T. Alexander Aleinikoff,** presented the 34th Annual Thomas F. Ryan Lecture at the Georgetown University Law Center yesterday, and he emphasized that the international community needs to rethink its response to refugee situations.

“Non-solutions have become the norm and literally hundreds of thousands of refugees have become forgotten people,” he said. “We have to move away from the paradigm of dependence that currently defines the refugee regime.”

Protecting the rights of refugees and providing for their basic needs is the bread and butter of UNHCR’s work—and it’s crucial, lifesaving work. However, no matter how much of a success you might consider Thai camps that provide shelter, food, medical attention, and education for families fleeing persecution in Myanmar, it is worrisome that the camp is 35 years old and still relying on food aid, Prof. Aleinikoff said.

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November 22, 2013

By Katie Bacharach

Last week Madagascar voters went to the polls in the first presidential election since the coup in 2009. The country was plunged into turmoil after Mr. Rajoelina ousted former President Ravalomanana. Since then, foreign aid has largely been cut and poverty has worsened.

BBC and Reuters have the details on how the election has gone. There were 33 presidential candidates in the election, which has been postponed three times this year. Mr. Rajoelina, former Presidents Ravalomanana and Ratsiraka, and Ravalomanana’s wife were all barred from running for president. Voting was largely peaceful, although a number of polling stations outside of the capital were attacked.

According to BBC, European and African observers announced that the election was “free, transparent and credible”. Preliminary results show that Richard Jean-Louis Robinson has about 30 percent of the votes and his main rival Hery Martial Rakotoarimanana Rajaonarimampianina has just over 15 percent.

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October 28, 2013