Recent Debates on International Digital Taxation
By Sicheng Shen The digitalization of the economy has been a key focus of tax debates in recent years.[1] Political debates have focused on the differences between taxing physical business operations and virtual operations.[2] Changing international rules on digital taxation will impact both where and how much tax the impacted
The Irony of the U.N. Resolution on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nicaragua
By Fabiola Gretzinger On March 23, 2021, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed the U.N. Resolution on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights in Nicaragua, urging the Nicaraguan Government to respect the basic human rights of Nicaraguans.[1] The country has faced civilian unrest and government oppression since 2018
Cyclists’ Uphill Battle for Space on Berlin’s Streets
By Andrea Rosato Berlin’s city planning exists between two identities. The city is simultaneously known for its outstanding transportation system,[1] while also being the capital of the “country of cars.”[2] Now, there is a third player seeking space on Berlin’s roads: cyclists.[3] In 2018, cyclists achieved a major win with
Why Can’t the UN Protect Human Rights in Yemen and Syria?
By John Weber Arguably the two worst humanitarian crises in the world, Yemen and Syria, are a result of civil wars fueled by foreign intervention and replete with international law violations. You’d think these are exactly the type of conflicts the UN was designed to solve. After all, the UN’s
The Future of Autonomous Weapons: The Need for A Strict Liability Stopgap
By Matt Nelson A recent recommendation made by the U.S. National Security Commission for AI, led by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, has urged the Biden Administration to reject any calls toward a ban on autonomous weapon systems.[1] Primarily, the panel asserts that the U.S. could use these robotic weapons
Russia’s Twitter Slowdown
By Erik Allerson On March 10th, 2021, Russia’s federal agency in charge of communications and information technology, Roskomnadzor, announced via the Russian social media website VKontakte that it had deliberately slowed down internet service speed for users in the country attempting to access Twitter.[1] It claimed to have decelerated the
Russia’s New Law Regulating Cryptocurrency
By Michael Keller Bitcoin’s astronomical surge in valuation was one of the defining digital trends of 2020. Valued at around $8,500 at the beginning of March of last year, the cryptocurrency is now, as of March 9, 2021, trading above $50,000.[1] Its market capitalization—which, in the crypto space, is calculated
The Two-Pillar Approach to Tax the Digital Economy
By Yu-Chen Wang The digitalization of the economy has been a focus of tax debates in recent years. For example, in 2019, there was a potential trade war caused by a France tax targeting the so-called “digital services” of “GAFA”, the abbreviation of Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon.[1] Other countries,
The EU’s New Pact on Migration and Asylum: History Repeats Itself
By Molly McKinsey In 2015, Europe was facing a “crisis” as a record number of refugees sought refuge from conflict, terror, and persecution in their home countries.[1] European leaders became desperate to curb irregular migration.[2] Believing that the crisis was a result of insecure external borders, EU leaders entered into
Defending Climate Defenders: Disha Ravi’s Arrest in Context
By Rebecca Wilton If you were asked to describe the function of a Google Doc, you might note its convenience for remote collaboration, its ubiquity in organizing circles, or its penchant for getting lost in the Cloud. Would you also mention its advantages as a key weapon in an international