Act Of Aggression Campaign

[Darios Uclaray]

The16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an annual international campaign that kicks off on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day.

In support of this civil society initiative, the United Nations Secretary-General launched in 2008 the campaign UNITE by 2030 to End Violence against Women, which runs parallel to the 16 Days of Activism.

During its first phase, more than 5 million people signed a global petition to make ending violence against women a top worldwide priority. Between 2009 and 2013 the campaign also led to over 5 million actions in partnership with over 900 civil society organizations globally.

Actions showcased advocacy efforts by civil society, activists, governments, and the UN system. These ranged from online petitions and social media campaigns to grassroots national awareness-raising initiatives. It included outreach in schools, engaging young people and faith-based organizations and garnering concrete national commitments from governments, and more.

In 2012, ahead of the 57th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women which focused on ending violence against women. UN Women launched the COMMIT initiative, asking governments to take a stand by making new and concrete national commitments to end violence against women and girls.

By the end of 2013 the European Union as well as 63 nations had joined the initiative, announcing specific measures to address and prevent violence against women and girls. These ranged from passing or improving laws, ratifying international conventions, launching public awareness campaigns, providing safe houses or free hotline services and free legal aid to survivors, supporting education programmes that address gender stereotypes and violence. It has also led to increases in the number of women in law enforcement, peacekeeping forces and frontline services.

To address the escalation of violence against women and girls in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020 the United Nations Secretary-General urged all governments to make the prevention and redress of violence against women and girls a key part of their national pandemic response plans. The appeal was answered in a statement by 146 Member States and Observers, expressing strong support.

February/March 2022. Theme: Ending violence against women and girls in the context of climate change and the annex to this action circular summarizing the agreed conclusions on CSW66.

The initiative, launched in 2008 under the leadership of the UN Secretary-General, was created to support the civil society led 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence campaign around the world.

Meeting of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression: On 2 June 2024, the members of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression (GIPA) met in The Hague to discuss the possibilities of amending the Rome Statute to harmonize the jurisdiction of the ICC over all four core crimes. The Convenor Jennifer Trahan explained why there should be an amendment. Carrie McDougall presented the GIPA proposal, followed by Astrid Reisinger Coracini who explained the two options currently discussed by a group of states convened by Germany. The meeting ended with Ambassador Wenaweser suggesting a strategy for building support for the amendment and a group discussion.

On 2 June 2024, Don Ferencz hosted a memorial honoring the legacy of two men with outstanding contributions to international law who died last year: Ben Ferencz, US chief prosecutor in the Einsatzgruppen trial and Professor Emeritus of the Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression, as well as Thomas Buergenthal, Auschwitz survivor and former judge at the ICJ and the IACtHR. The event took place at the Peace Palace in The Hague and attracted various speakers, from high-level ICL practitioners, such as former ICC Chief Prosecutors Fatou Bensouda and Luis Moreno Ocampo, former ICTY and ICTR prosecutor Richard Goldstone and former US ambassador-at-large for war crimes Stephen Rapp, to ambassadors, such as Christian Wenaweser, and ICL academics, such as David Donat Cattin, Carrie McDougall, Astrid Reisinger Coracini, Leila Sadat, William Schabas, Michael Scharf and Jennifer Trahan.

In memoriam of Ben Ferencz: Our co-founder and one of the most dedicated advocates of the rule of law, especially the crime of aggression, would have turned 104 years old today. We miss him immensely and we are looking forward to celebrating his legacy in Nuremberg and The Hague this year.

The Global Anti-Aggression Campaign (GAAC) (Arabic: الحملة العالمية لمقاومة العدوان) is a human rights non-governmental organization ostensibly established to resist foreign aggression against Islam, Muslims, and Muslim countries in a manner that complies with the Sunni-Islamic faith. The Global Anti-Aggression Campaign consists of a number of religious leaders, intellectuals, and human rights activists from the Arab World and holds annual conferences to advance their stated objectives and discuss Western and Israeli aggression on Muslim communities.

Since its establishment in 2005, several members of the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign have come under criticism for their connections to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations or have been labeled as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGT) by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The Global Anti-Aggression Campaign (GAAC) is reportedly backed by Hamas and has been associated with other offshoots of the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood.

The Times of Israel reported that GAAC was established in 2003 in Saudi Arabia by Saudi members of al-Qaeda who hoped to promote the organization as peaceful. According to the report, GAAC was relocated to Qatar in 2005 due to opposition from the Saudi Arabian government. In 2005, Hamas leader Khaled Mashal as well as representatives from the Muslim Brotherhood and other Salafist organizations were reportedly members of the organization.[1]

In 2005, Khaled Mashal, leader of Hamas since 2004, attended the first Global Anti-Aggression Campaign conference in Doha, Qatar between February 23 and February 25th. During the conference, Mashal spoke on the importance of comprehensive resistance and referenced Hamas as a successful example of comprehensive resistance.[4] In 2009, the Guardian claimed that the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign is supported by Hamas.[5]

Former secretary general and comptroller general of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria, Ali Sadreddine al-Bayanouni, attended the first Global Anti-Aggression Campaign conference in Doha, Qatar in February 2005.[4][9] Al-Bayanouni called for the dissemination of a culture of resistance and to nurture people, families, and communities built on resistance.[4]

Safar bin Abdul Rahman al-Hawali is the president of the Global Anti-Aggression Campaign.[11] Al-Hawali gained prominence as a leader in the Sahwa movement that strongly opposed the presence of U.S. troops in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War.[12] In 2001, the New York Times claimed that al-Hawali was one of the two people who influence Osama bin Laden the most.[13]

While the campaign marked the first offensive victory for the Americans, it provided more than just a morale boost and a checking of Japanese aggression. This campaign illustrated the powerful synergy of American joint operations.

Working together in a unified manner, all four US military services had a role to play in the subsequent victory. During the interwar years, the American military was largely a cadre force with very little combat experience. Each service had its own parochial approach to war and jealously guarded its own roles and mission and their associated budgets. With the advent of new weapons, technology, and a well-trained and capable foe, the US military had much to learn about working together in a coordinated and joint endeavor. Guadalcanal was more than just a campaign victory; it served as a classroom for the services resulting in better interoperability and joint operations. This ability to integrate the domains of air, land, and sea were key components of the Allied victory over fascism.

Japanese troops finally evacuated the island on February 8, 1943. During the campaign, the joint force lost 1,592 personnel killed in action with another 4,183 wounded along with thousands more suffering from tropical diseases. Despite these numbers, the Americans inflicted a disproportionate number of casualties on their Japanese foe. By the end of the campaign, Imperial Japan lost 14,800 KIA, 9,000 from disease, with 1,000 captured. This initial victory came about as all four military services worked together in a unified manner while fighting at the fringes of empire. Having to operate in three domains simultaneously, the joint effort help set a precedent for future operations. No one service could win the war alone. Guadalcanal was the first lesson for the Americans as victory required a synergy of American combat power to overcome Japanese imperialism.

The stakeholder toolkit for violence and aggression has been published as part of the RESPECT Campaign. This toolkit has been produced to help reduce levels of violet and abusive behaviour being experienced by health and social care workers.

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US and German officials confirmed that the United States and Germany have changed their policies to allow Ukraine to use US- and German-provided weapons to strike Russian territory with some restrictions but did not offer precise details about these restrictions. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on May 31 that President Joe Biden approved Ukraine's use of US-supplied weapons to defend against Russian aggression, "including against Russian forces that are massing on the Russian side of the border and then attacking into Ukraine."[1] Western media reported on May 30 that the Biden administration gave Ukraine permission to use US-provided weapons, including GMLRS rockets, for "counter-fire purposes" against the Russian forces conducting assaults in northern Kharkiv Oblast but has not changed its policy restricting Ukraine from using US-provided weapons, such as ATACMS, to conduct long-range strikes elsewhere into Russia.[2] Blinken's May 31 statement did not specify which US-provided weapons Ukraine would be able to use or if the United States would allow Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons to strike Russian concentrations in Kursk and Bryansk oblasts as well. It is also unclear from Blinken's statement if the United States will allow Ukraine to strike Russian forces that are massing across the border but have not yet attacked into Ukrainian territory. Blinken responded to a journalist's question on May 31 about whether the United States would allow Ukraine to use US-provided weapons to strike deeper into Russian territory, stating that the United States will "as necessary adapt and adjust."[3]

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