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“Every person has the right to a comfortable standard of living that ensures, as well as his/her family, health and well-being, and especially food, clothing, housing, […]”1. This is how the United Nations defined, in 1948, the right of every human being to housing, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. However, this statement was not binding. On the other hand, the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights2 was, signed and subsequently ratified by most of the countries of … Read more

New US tariffs on certain EU products entered into force on October 181 —especially from France, United Kingdom, Germany and Spain—, as a result of a demand that the US made before the World Trade Organization in 2004. Illegal EU subsidies to the aircraft manufacturer Airbus are officially the reason for this demand. These tariffs will record European aircraft with 10% and the other series of products not related to aeronautics with 25%. However, negotiations between the EU and the … Read more

During the week of September 20-27, people from all parts of the world mobilized to demand the powers of the different states decisive actions against the climate crisis that threatens the life of the planet. The Global Climate Strike is a mobilization originally promoted by Fridays For Future and that each of the communities will develop through different organizations and structures (2020 Climate Rebellion, Extinction Rebellion…)1,2. The key demands of the mobilizations are 33: That politicians tell the truth about … Read more

The right of self-determination establishes that each people has the right to freely choose their political status and to provide their economic, social and cultural development. This is a right enjoyed by all the peoples of the world1. The right of self-determination is part of the ius cogens of international law, since it is considered to be a regulation that is above any state legislation and, therefore, no State can deny or violate it. Thus, in the Scottish case, the … Read more

The peace agreement between the Colombian Government and the FARC-EP (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People’s Army), signed on 11/24/2016, is partly broken. The former head of the FARC-EP negotiator of the peace process, Iván Márquez, announced the return to arms of a part of the guerrillas1. Despite this, Timochenko and the bulk of former FARC-EP guerrillas remain faithful to the peace agreement. The peace process, culminated in the signing of the Final Agreement for the End of Conflict and the … Read more

On April 5, the Norwegian government approved the decision of the Norwegian Pension Fund to withdraw some 11,000 million euros from its investments in oil and gas companies. In addition, the Fund is authorized to invest up to 2% of its value in renewable energy. In addition, restrictions are established for investment in coal companies.  Norway’s Global Government’s Pension Fund (Statens Pensjonsfond Utland), commonly called the Petroleum Fund (Oljefondet), aims to ensure a responsible and long-term management of the oil … Read more

On June 14, the first general strike against social security reforms by the current government was called in Brazil1. The strike, which took place 5 and a half months after the arrival of Jair Bolsonaro’s government2, was convened by two major trade union centers in Brazil (Central Única de Trabalhadores (CUT) y la Força Sindical), which announced it on May 1st. The social security reform that the government intends to approve, which does not yet have the necessary support, seeks … Read more

On May 7, the Palestinian news agency Ma’an published a leak of a new peace plan for Palestine and Israel prepared by the US government1. This plan is custom-made to Israel and does not recognize the borders that the Palestinian State had in 1967 after the Six Day War. Among other proposals, it should be noted that the text does not contemplate the dismantling of Jewish settlements, the partition of Jerusalem, or the existence of Palestinian weapons or armies. The … Read more

On May 21, the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) announced that during the first quarter of 2019, world tourism grew by 4% compared to 2018, when some 1,400 million travelers were reached around the world1,2. As indicated in its infographic, the income derived from chemical products, fuels or automobiles are very important, these sectors being major causes of environmental problems. Despite the fact that 4 out of 5 tourists travel within their own region, almost all of them use more or … Read more

“Overextraction, drainage of wetlands and swamps, deforestation, many irrigation projects and poorly drained land, pesticide and fertilizer leaks, pollution from industry spills and households that were not properly treated or that were not treated at all, the widespread construction of large reservoirs, the increasing exploitation of underground aquifers, the channeling of navigable waterways, the plans for water transfer between watersheds and the ravages of climate change induced by fossil fuels, disturbed hydrological cycles in various ways and created conditions of … Read more