Editorial - October/November 2018

Welcome to the October/November edition of Global Insight. We have some heavy-hitting features and columns from our leading correspondents, covering the usual diverse range of pressing rule of law concerns around the world. Our cover feature – ‘A tipping point for climate change’ – highlights the powerfully expressed views of three leading figures in the fight against environmental degradation, at a time when the need to focus on these issues seems more urgent than ever: former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Mary Robinson; James Thornton, CEO of ClientEarth; and John Cruden, who successfully held to account both Volkswagen and BP during his time overseeing environmental enforcement for the US government.

Meanwhile, our coverage of the Trump administration continues with in-depth reporting on the unfolding investigation, trial and guilty plea of Paul Manafort, the President’s erstwhile campaign chair. Of the 30 defendants indicted by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, only Manafort chose to stand trial. The result is a tale of greed on an epic scale and one of espionage for the ultimate geopolitical stakes. David Kramer, Assistant Secretary of State for Democracy under President George W Bush, describes Manafort’s story as signifying nothing less than ‘a failure of Western business and political culture’.

In his feature and a column for this edition, our Middle East correspondent focuses on Iran and Saudi Arabia, respectively. The feature highlights the challenge facing the newly appointed UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the country, Javaid Rehman, and includes an exclusive interview with him as he begins his mandate. The column focuses on the growing humanitarian crisis in Yemen, a result of Saudi Arabia’s military action. We also have outstanding contributions from Southeast Asia, on the troubling tendency for rule by law across the region, and from southern Africa on what the first post-Mugabe election tells us about hopes Zimbabwe could emerge as a democracy governed by rule of law. We hope you enjoy the edition.