Author Archives: Christinelli Eddy

There is no day more well-suited to highlight the important role of the maritime industry than World Maritime Day on the 26th of September. The first celebration was in 1978 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) Convention’s entry into force in 1958. This day marks the maritime industry’s contribution to the global trade economy. Today, its celebration has grown to become a key platform for discussions regarding maritime issues. This year alone, the IMO has designated the theme of “Navigating the future: safety first!”, following its tradition of themes revolving around maritime safety. Such is a fitting theme to emphasise the IMO’s commitment in enhancing safety and security in maritime operations. Furthermore, this theme underscores the importance of protecting the marine environment by developing regulations that can anticipate future advancements in technology and innovation. The goal is to balance safety, technological innovation, and environmental concerns while maintaining the efficiency of international maritime trade.

Equality in wages has been a long-standing goal in accordance with the fulfilment of social and economic human rights enshrined under Article 7(a)(i) of the International Covenant on Economic Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). In achieving this goal and raising awareness of existing inequality in wages, the United Nations marked the 18th of September as the International Equal Pay Day. The day also stands as a symbol of commitment from the United Nations in upholding human rights and fighting against gender pay inequality and all forms of discrimination against women and children. Various strategies have been implemented by states in regulating the issue of ‘wage gap’, with one of the strategies constituting the enforcement of positive discrimination policies that treat a specific group favourably based on certain criteria. This article examines the practice of positive discrimination and highlights how its utilisation is beneficial in achieving universal gender pay equality.

The International Day of Biological Diversity was initially held on December 29th, 1993, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ever since then, Biodiversity Day is annually commemorated on May 22nd. This date was subsequently chosen since it coincided with the adoption of the final Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). One of the main purposes of commemorating this day is to increase awareness and to educate the public on the importance of biodiversity—the variety of life on Earth—as it plays a crucial role in the sustainability of ecosystems. Many are unaware of the direct threats facing biodiversity. On that account, a day that is designated to commemorate the realms of biodiversity equally serves to educate the public and lawmakers on the importance of safeguarding it.

Genocide is the deliberate killing of a number of people with the aim of destroying their entire nation or group. Acts of genocide are laid out in Article 2 of the 1948 Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention) which includes killing, causing bodily or mental harm, inflicting conditions on a group’s physical destruction, preventing births within a group, and forceful transfer of children to another group. It is, as we know, the worst kind of crime against humanity there is. It is a duty owed to every State to prevent and avoid the act of genocide, known as an erga omnes obligation. However, such a tragic and one of the worst genocide committed in the European continent happened in 1995, that is the Massacre in Srebrenica, Bosnia. The occurrence transpired due to the invasive maneuvers of Serbian forces to eradicate Bosnian Muslims. Until now, the visible and emotional aftermath of the battlefield remains evident upon the loss of tens of thousands of Bosnian Muslims. During that time, the international community was urged to address this matter within an international tribunal – striving for a positive resolution and bestowing justice among its victims.