The careful study of the legal status of ice in public international law is often a difficult exe... more The careful study of the legal status of ice in public international law is often a difficult exercise in that it is first necessary to consider the classification and categorization of ice. As glaciologists and all polar experts know, there is no single type of ice. They can be very different in nature, origin or physical properties.
The influence of the ice contiguous to the land territory in the delimitation of maritime spaces ... more The influence of the ice contiguous to the land territory in the delimitation of maritime spaces The presence of ice contiguous to the land territory presents several difficulties in determining or tracing the baselines. The presence of ice may indeed have posed technical difficulties in determining the baselines. Some ice sheets were also able to interest and question the legal status to be attributed to them. Faced with all these doubts, part of the doctrine has been able to provide several elements of answers to face these difficulties. The first historical difficulty was the impossibility of determining the separation of terrestrial space from maritime space when the latter was located under a layer of ice. Subsequently, another difficulty, more legal, was to determine the legal status to be granted to these ice spaces. The idea may seem surprising or even outdated, but the difficulties in determining the baselines due to the presence of contiguous ice initially represented a real difficulty. If the presence of these ice sheets questions whether or not they are taken into account in the determination process, this presence also questions the location of the outer limit of the terrestrial territory when it is located under a thick layer of ice. This difficulty finds its meaning in particular when there are ice barriers. The difficulty in determining exactly where maritime space begins and land space ends will naturally lead to difficulty in drawing baselines. These must follow the coast with regard to Articles 5 and 7 of the Montego Bay Convention. This was for a time a difficulty encountered in the past 1. Now, modern techniques allow the coastline of a terrestrial space to be determined with precision. The example in the field is Denmark, which in 2004 undertook to modify the baselines of Greenland following the entry into force of the Montego Bay Convention on 16 November 2004. Denmark therefore modified its baselines 2 with assistance from the Danish Space Agency (DTU Space) based on old known baselines and estimates provided by electromagnetic and satellite photos. This combination of methods enabled Denmark to accurately determine the position of the coasts and thus to modify some baselines. It also
Call for input: Report on Revisiting migrants’ contributions from a human rights-based approach: a discussion on facilitating and hindering factors issued by Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, 2024
The establishment of temporary protection, used for the first time, facilitated a better receptio... more The establishment of temporary protection, used for the first time, facilitated a better reception of populations from Ukraine. Despite the uncertainty surrounding this status, it allowed for a timely response to a pressing humanitarian emergency. This measure provided a legal framework for accommodating displaced persons, granting them temporary status that enables access to certain rights and essential services, such as housing, healthcare, and education. Although temporary, this initiative demonstrated governments' ability to take swift and effective action to address the needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises. Furthermore, it underscored the importance of international solidarity and regional cooperation in managing migration flows and emergency situations. * Thomas PEPIN is a qualified lawyer specialized in international law. His areas of expertise include international humanitarian law and the law of migration and development issues.
CAN TEMPORARY PROTECTION BE SEEN AS A LEGAL TOOL FAVORING MIGRATION?, 2024
The establishment of temporary protection, used for the first time, facilitated a better receptio... more The establishment of temporary protection, used for the first time, facilitated a better reception of populations from Ukraine. Despite the uncertainty surrounding this status, it allowed for a timely response to a pressing humanitarian emergency. This measure provided a legal framework for accommodating displaced persons, granting them temporary status that enables access to certain rights and essential services, such as housing, healthcare, and education. Although temporary, this initiative demonstrated governments' ability to take swift and effective action to address the needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises. Furthermore, it underscored the importance of international solidarity and regional cooperation in managing migration flows and emergency situations. * Thomas PEPIN is a qualified lawyer specialized in international law. His areas of expertise include international humanitarian law and the law of migration and development issues.
thematic study by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on “Elections and Enforced Disappearances - United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, 2024
Providing a definitive answer regarding a global increase in enforced disappearances worldwide is... more Providing a definitive answer regarding a global increase in enforced disappearances worldwide is challenging due to variations in data availability and transparency from one country to another. In some contexts, an increase in enforced disappearances has been reported over the past decades, particularly in regions grappling with armed conflicts, political crises, or widespread human rights violations. Periods of political unrest, government repression, or violence are often associated with a rise in cases of enforced disappearances 1. Before delving into the study of enforced disappearances in an electoral context, it seems necessary to define what is meant by the term "enforced disappearance." Enforced disappearance is a serious crime and a violation of human rights defined by international law.
Le début de l'invasion russe de l'Ukraine le 24 février 2022 sonne le retour de la guerre de haut... more Le début de l'invasion russe de l'Ukraine le 24 février 2022 sonne le retour de la guerre de haute intensité sur le vieux continent. Cette agression armée a poussé à l'exode une part importante de la population civile ukrainienne. Pour faire face à cet afflux massif de personnes déplacées en provenance d'Ukraine, l'Union européenne a dû réagir rapidement et s'adapter. Pour la première fois depuis sa création, le dispositif de la protection temporaire issu de la Directive 2001/55/CE du Conseil du 20 juillet 2001 est activé par la Commission européenne le 4 mars 2022 afin d'accompagner et protéger les ressortissants ukrainiens ayant quitté leur pays. Toutefois, si cette réaction de l'Union européenne est tout à fait louable et à rebours de la politique migratoire jusqu'ici en application, celle-ci interroge quant à sa mise en application au sein des États membres. Cette étude ambitionne d'étudier les origines du mécanisme de la protection temporaire, d'en esquisser les limites ainsi que les principales difficultés rencontrées par les gouvernements des États membres confrontés au défi de l'accueil des déplacés ukrainiens. Enfin, il conviendra de s'interroger sur les leçons qui peuvent être tirées de cette première année de pratique ainsi que les défis de l'après « protection temporaire ».
Contribution to a project of joint statement on the notion of short-term enforced disappearance, 2023
Short-term enforced disappearances are an abominable practice that violates the fundamental right... more Short-term enforced disappearances are an abominable practice that violates the fundamental rights of the individual. In this short study, we will look at this troubling phenomenon, highlighting its definition, its short duration and the measures that can be put in place at the international level to combat this insidious practice. By highlighting the reminder and the definition of enforced disappearances, we hope to raise awareness of this problem and to encourage concrete actions to put an end to it. Las desapariciones forzadas de corta duración son una práctica abominable que viola los derechos fundamentales de la persona. En este breve estudio, analizaremos este preocupante fenómeno, destacando su definición, su corta duración y las medidas que se pueden implementar a nivel internacional para combatir esta práctica insidiosa. Al resaltar el recordatorio y la definición de desaparición forzada, esperamos crear conciencia sobre este problema y alentar acciones concretas para ponerle fin.
* Thomas Pépin is a qualified international lawyer specializing in the field of security and international relations. His research focuses mainly on the law of armed conflict as well as the study of migration phenomena.
La Revue Polar est une revue bi-annuelle traitant de tous les sujets liés aux espaces polaires. D... more La Revue Polar est une revue bi-annuelle traitant de tous les sujets liés aux espaces polaires. Découvrez notre premier numéro
The careful study of the legal status of ice in public international law is often a difficult exe... more The careful study of the legal status of ice in public international law is often a difficult exercise in that it is first necessary to consider the classification and categorization of ice. As glaciologists and all polar experts know, there is no single type of ice. They can be very different in nature, origin or physical properties.
The influence of the ice contiguous to the land territory in the delimitation of maritime spaces ... more The influence of the ice contiguous to the land territory in the delimitation of maritime spaces The presence of ice contiguous to the land territory presents several difficulties in determining or tracing the baselines. The presence of ice may indeed have posed technical difficulties in determining the baselines. Some ice sheets were also able to interest and question the legal status to be attributed to them. Faced with all these doubts, part of the doctrine has been able to provide several elements of answers to face these difficulties. The first historical difficulty was the impossibility of determining the separation of terrestrial space from maritime space when the latter was located under a layer of ice. Subsequently, another difficulty, more legal, was to determine the legal status to be granted to these ice spaces. The idea may seem surprising or even outdated, but the difficulties in determining the baselines due to the presence of contiguous ice initially represented a real difficulty. If the presence of these ice sheets questions whether or not they are taken into account in the determination process, this presence also questions the location of the outer limit of the terrestrial territory when it is located under a thick layer of ice. This difficulty finds its meaning in particular when there are ice barriers. The difficulty in determining exactly where maritime space begins and land space ends will naturally lead to difficulty in drawing baselines. These must follow the coast with regard to Articles 5 and 7 of the Montego Bay Convention. This was for a time a difficulty encountered in the past 1. Now, modern techniques allow the coastline of a terrestrial space to be determined with precision. The example in the field is Denmark, which in 2004 undertook to modify the baselines of Greenland following the entry into force of the Montego Bay Convention on 16 November 2004. Denmark therefore modified its baselines 2 with assistance from the Danish Space Agency (DTU Space) based on old known baselines and estimates provided by electromagnetic and satellite photos. This combination of methods enabled Denmark to accurately determine the position of the coasts and thus to modify some baselines. It also
Call for input: Report on Revisiting migrants’ contributions from a human rights-based approach: a discussion on facilitating and hindering factors issued by Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, 2024
The establishment of temporary protection, used for the first time, facilitated a better receptio... more The establishment of temporary protection, used for the first time, facilitated a better reception of populations from Ukraine. Despite the uncertainty surrounding this status, it allowed for a timely response to a pressing humanitarian emergency. This measure provided a legal framework for accommodating displaced persons, granting them temporary status that enables access to certain rights and essential services, such as housing, healthcare, and education. Although temporary, this initiative demonstrated governments' ability to take swift and effective action to address the needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises. Furthermore, it underscored the importance of international solidarity and regional cooperation in managing migration flows and emergency situations. * Thomas PEPIN is a qualified lawyer specialized in international law. His areas of expertise include international humanitarian law and the law of migration and development issues.
CAN TEMPORARY PROTECTION BE SEEN AS A LEGAL TOOL FAVORING MIGRATION?, 2024
The establishment of temporary protection, used for the first time, facilitated a better receptio... more The establishment of temporary protection, used for the first time, facilitated a better reception of populations from Ukraine. Despite the uncertainty surrounding this status, it allowed for a timely response to a pressing humanitarian emergency. This measure provided a legal framework for accommodating displaced persons, granting them temporary status that enables access to certain rights and essential services, such as housing, healthcare, and education. Although temporary, this initiative demonstrated governments' ability to take swift and effective action to address the needs of populations affected by humanitarian crises. Furthermore, it underscored the importance of international solidarity and regional cooperation in managing migration flows and emergency situations. * Thomas PEPIN is a qualified lawyer specialized in international law. His areas of expertise include international humanitarian law and the law of migration and development issues.
thematic study by the Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances on “Elections and Enforced Disappearances - United Nations Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner, 2024
Providing a definitive answer regarding a global increase in enforced disappearances worldwide is... more Providing a definitive answer regarding a global increase in enforced disappearances worldwide is challenging due to variations in data availability and transparency from one country to another. In some contexts, an increase in enforced disappearances has been reported over the past decades, particularly in regions grappling with armed conflicts, political crises, or widespread human rights violations. Periods of political unrest, government repression, or violence are often associated with a rise in cases of enforced disappearances 1. Before delving into the study of enforced disappearances in an electoral context, it seems necessary to define what is meant by the term "enforced disappearance." Enforced disappearance is a serious crime and a violation of human rights defined by international law.
Le début de l'invasion russe de l'Ukraine le 24 février 2022 sonne le retour de la guerre de haut... more Le début de l'invasion russe de l'Ukraine le 24 février 2022 sonne le retour de la guerre de haute intensité sur le vieux continent. Cette agression armée a poussé à l'exode une part importante de la population civile ukrainienne. Pour faire face à cet afflux massif de personnes déplacées en provenance d'Ukraine, l'Union européenne a dû réagir rapidement et s'adapter. Pour la première fois depuis sa création, le dispositif de la protection temporaire issu de la Directive 2001/55/CE du Conseil du 20 juillet 2001 est activé par la Commission européenne le 4 mars 2022 afin d'accompagner et protéger les ressortissants ukrainiens ayant quitté leur pays. Toutefois, si cette réaction de l'Union européenne est tout à fait louable et à rebours de la politique migratoire jusqu'ici en application, celle-ci interroge quant à sa mise en application au sein des États membres. Cette étude ambitionne d'étudier les origines du mécanisme de la protection temporaire, d'en esquisser les limites ainsi que les principales difficultés rencontrées par les gouvernements des États membres confrontés au défi de l'accueil des déplacés ukrainiens. Enfin, il conviendra de s'interroger sur les leçons qui peuvent être tirées de cette première année de pratique ainsi que les défis de l'après « protection temporaire ».
Contribution to a project of joint statement on the notion of short-term enforced disappearance, 2023
Short-term enforced disappearances are an abominable practice that violates the fundamental right... more Short-term enforced disappearances are an abominable practice that violates the fundamental rights of the individual. In this short study, we will look at this troubling phenomenon, highlighting its definition, its short duration and the measures that can be put in place at the international level to combat this insidious practice. By highlighting the reminder and the definition of enforced disappearances, we hope to raise awareness of this problem and to encourage concrete actions to put an end to it. Las desapariciones forzadas de corta duración son una práctica abominable que viola los derechos fundamentales de la persona. En este breve estudio, analizaremos este preocupante fenómeno, destacando su definición, su corta duración y las medidas que se pueden implementar a nivel internacional para combatir esta práctica insidiosa. Al resaltar el recordatorio y la definición de desaparición forzada, esperamos crear conciencia sobre este problema y alentar acciones concretas para ponerle fin.
* Thomas Pépin is a qualified international lawyer specializing in the field of security and international relations. His research focuses mainly on the law of armed conflict as well as the study of migration phenomena.
La Revue Polar est une revue bi-annuelle traitant de tous les sujets liés aux espaces polaires. D... more La Revue Polar est une revue bi-annuelle traitant de tous les sujets liés aux espaces polaires. Découvrez notre premier numéro
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* Thomas Pépin is a qualified international lawyer specializing in the field of security and international relations. His research focuses mainly on the law of armed conflict as well as the study of migration phenomena.
* Thomas Pépin is a qualified international lawyer specializing in the field of security and international relations. His research focuses mainly on the law of armed conflict as well as the study of migration phenomena.