Human Rights & Humanitarian Aid
Defending rights, delivering hope
The Working Group Human Rights & Humanitarian Aid examines global human rights protection and humanitarian response. It analyses freedom of expression, refugee crises, and the effectiveness of international human rights frameworks. Additionally, it evaluates aid coordination in conflict zones and disaster-stricken areas. Monthly briefings provide academic insights on improving policies, strengthening accountability, and aligning humanitarian efforts with international law.
Community‑Run Aid Networks in Yemen
How have community‑run aid networks adapted to Yemen’s blockade? They have responded to severe limits on movement, resources, and access by decentralizing…
It’s a (Wo)Men’s World
It’s a (Wo)Men’s World: Are We Actually Getting Closer to Equality? Recently I had the pleasure of attending the annual On Think Tanks (OTT) conference, which…
When Humanitarian Aid Becomes a Crime
Thematic Working Group Briefs – 2026 When Humanitarian Aid Becomes a Crime Across Europe, people who provide life-saving humanitarian assistance are…
Eyes from above
Is it possible or necessary to use satellites to prevent human trafficking and forced labour? Yes it is necessary, as this allows us to identify and combat the…
At the Border of Rights
North American migration policies increasingly prioritise deterrence and border security over humanitarian protection. Restrictive asylum systems, detention,…
Constitutional Identity in EU Membership
Main question: How can the EU ensure candidate states align with its core values when accession mainly measures legislative compliance rather than…
Breaking Down Structures of Dependency
How should the humanitarian sector adapt to the funding cuts of USAID — differentiate funding, cooperate with locals more, and more flexibility — dependency…
Follow Lithuania: Not only words, but also deeds
To what extent can Lithuania’s values-based foreign policy serve as a model for the EU? Lithuania demonstrates that a consistent values-based foreign policy is…
The Paradox of Tunisia’s Arab Spring
Main Question: What is the legacy and lasting consequences of the Jasmine Revolution? Argument: Democratization was undermined by socioeconomic decline and…
At Europe’s Door: Italy’s Migration Crisis
How does Italy’s bilateral agreement with Albania fit within the broader EU migration framework? The protocol is innovative because it maintains full Italian…
Rhetoric Over Rules: EU Migration Crisis
To what extent does anti-migrant rhetoric in Hungary and Poland undermine EU migration solidarity under the 2024 Pact? Both governments use securitisation…
Erasing the Future:
This brief investigates the systematic deportation of Ukrainian children as a deliberate instrument of Russian state policy. It argues that the integration of…
Funding Freeze
Executive Order: “Reevaluating and Realigning United States Foreign Aid”; who could oppose the need to eliminate abuses of the system? Domestically, the freeze…
Maternal Mortality as Foreign Policy Failure
Why is maternal health not treated as a strategic foreign policy priority? This report argues that Sudan’s maternity crisis exposes systemic failures in…
Humanitarian Aid under Pressure
The 11th Humanitarian Symposium Munich was devoted to the topic “Humanitarian aid in the light of the current geopolitical situation”. Accordingly, the agenda…
The Failure of R2P’s Third Pillar
What barriers are there to the adoption and enforcement of the Responsibility to Protect Doctrine? Through the case studies of Myanmar, Ukraine, and the…
Editorial Report on Human Rights & Humanitarian Aid Issue I
Editor’s Note and ACknowledgement
Use of Aid After the 2023 Turkey–Syria Quake
– Was international aid provided after the Turkish–Syrian earthquake used appropriately? – Despite substantial funding, centralised administration in Turkey…
Accountability and Corruption in Humanitarian Aid
Main question: How can humanitarian aid stay efficient while preventing corruption? Argument: Strong, system-wide accountability, coordination, and community…
When Aid Becomes a Weapon
1. Does the long-standing belief that independent, international agencies are best suited to deliver humanitarian assistance still hold today? 2. Aid…
