Bonnie Docherty

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by Dana Walters Today, the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons enters into force. What exactly does this mean? All of…

by Dana Walters
via Harvard Law Today Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto Between 1946 and 1958, the United States conducted 67 nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands,…

Via Harvard Law Today By Juan Siliezar First came a flash. Thirteen-year-old Setsuko Nakamura felt as if she were drifting skyward. And then darkness.

Credit: Ari Beser Bonnie Docherty (far right) in 2017 at a UN negotiating session. Via Harvard Law Today By Daniel Moubayed ’20 Reducing the…

Via Human Rights @ Harvard Law By Nicolette Waldman The Armed Conflict and Civilian Protection Initiative (ACCPI) recently completed its first full year,…

Via HRP  We are delighted to present HRP’s 2018-2019 Annual Report. The report showcases the global reach and impact of the Human Rights Program…

Via HRP Human rights work doesn’t stop for the summer. HRP staff, however, do take a moment to pause and regroup, taking the necessary…

Via Harvard Law Today By: Elaine McArdle Source: Harvard Law Today Paras Shah’s approach to human rights centers on inclusion. In his four…

Via the International Human Rights Clinic Source: Pixabay By: Bonnie Docherty As countries engage in national debates about joining the 2017 treaty banning nuclear…

Via the International Human Rights Clinic Source: Pixabay Australia’s alliance with the United States need not stand in the way of Australia joining the…

Via the International Human Rights Law Clinic   Source: Pixabay Countries at an upcoming United Nations disarmament conference, faced with evidence of 30 new incendiary…

As preparations for a US-North Korea summit highlight the ongoing threat posed by nuclear weapons, proponents of nuclear disarmament should increase their support for the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW). Momentum has been building. In May alone, three more countries ratified the treaty, bringing the total to 10; another 48 have signed. In addition, several countries have initiated national processes that represent an important step toward coming on board. In this context, the Clinic is releasing two papers demonstrating why it is legally possible for even allies of nuclear armed states to join the TPN.

The humanitarian impact of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) depends on both its comprehensive ban on nuclear weapons and its obligations to assist victims and remediate the environment affected by use and testing. The former aims to prevent future harm, while the latter addresses harm that has already occurred. The Clinic is releasing new papers on victim assistance and environmental remediation in order to increase awareness of these elements of the treaty.

From Harvard Law Today—Drawing on their own involvement in creating international law, conference participants reflected on the development of the humanitarian disarmament movement, which strives to end civilian suffering caused by inhumane and indiscriminate weapons, and discussed where the movement should go from here.

From International Human Rights Clinic—The award honors ICAN for having “given the efforts to achieve a world without nuclear weapons a new direction and new vigour.” In particular, the prize recognizes the civil society coalition’s “ground-breaking” work to realize a treaty banning nuclear weapons.

From International Human Rights Clinic—Countries should respond to reports of new use of incendiary weapons in Syria by working to strengthen the international law governing these exceptionally cruel weapons, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

From Harvard Gazette—When a Norwegian committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) for its work behind a treaty to ban nuclear weapons, 3,500 miles away six people at Harvard cheered loudly.

From International Human Rights Clinic—Although I never met Carl Thorne-Thomsen, I’ve known about him for as long as I can remember. I distinctly recall driving down the road to my grandparents’ home in Lake Forest, IL, as my mother told me about her close high school friend who had died in Vietnam.