Editorial - Dec/Jan 2020

Welcome to the December 2019/January 2020 edition of Global Insight. Our cover feature serves as something of a follow-up to the last edition, which highlighted the rise of national populism and the resulting damage to domestic rule of law in various countries around the world as those in power attack fundamental values such as free expression and independence of the judiciary. In ‘Present at the destruction’, our US correspondent assesses the extent to which the Trump administration’s retreat from the co-operative liberal world order has undermined international rule of law, from the disruption of NATO to pulling out of the Paris climate agreement, and much else besides.

We also have edited excerpts from an interview with the Chief Executive of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), David Miliband, who was in Sweden in November to receive the 11th Stockholm Human Rights Award. His acceptance speech, as well as the interview – both of which can be viewed in full on the IBA’s website – serve as a remarkably optimistic counterpoint to our cover piece and the issues it tackles, as does the work of the organisation that Miliband heads. As the world faced the escalating migration crisis, the first act of the Trump administration was to make every effort to shut America’s borders to those most in need. By contrast, the IRC and its international partners assisted over 2,000 people seeking asylum in the US as well as providing clean water, shelter, healthcare and education to people in conflict-stricken countries including Myanmar, Syria and Yemen.

As is traditional in the edition of the magazine that follows the Association’s Annual Conference, we cover some of the highlights from Seoul. This includes the keynote address from former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, and coverage of a Showcase session with the World Bank on the economic benefits of legal aid. We hope you enjoy the edition, as well as a peaceful and prosperous 2020.