Transnational Bodies

Are Vaccine Passports an Invasion Of Civil Liberties?

March 12, 2021

Various experts discuss the future of vaccine passports and their potention to create a permanent layer of increased surveillance infrastructure, encroaching on civil liberties, as well voicing concerns that participation in society would depend on taking a vaccine that has not gone through full regulatory approval.
GOP Pushes Bills to Allow Social Media ‘Censorship’ Lawsuits

March 10, 2021

In an effort to challenge a federal law that prevents internet companies from being sued for removing posts, U.S. Republican state lawmakers from two dozen states as well as a few Democrats, have introduced bills that would allow for civil lawsuits against platforms for what they call the “censorship” of posts.
Politico: China will Make ‘Efforts’ to Outlaw Forced Labor

March 10, 2021

As the European Parliament is set to scrutinize the EU-China investment pact in detail, the issue of forced labor has been addressed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, stating that China will take steps toward ratifying International Labor Organization rules against forced labor but did not offer a specific plan.
Hong Kong: 47 Charged Under Security Law

March 08, 2021

Following an informal public opinion poll to coordinate pro-democracy candidates for a Legislative Council (LegCo) election in July 2020, The Hong Kong government has decided to use the National Security Law to charge 47 democracy figures with “conspiracy to commit subversion”.
Forbes: WHO Covid-19 Report Dropped

March 08, 2021

The World Health Organization (WHO) team that investigated the origins of Covid-19 will not release their report from its mission to China due to escalating political and scientific accusations that the investigation was fundamentally compromised by Chinese officials.
WIPO: China Extends Lead over U.S. in Global Patents Filings

March 08, 2021

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced that China was the biggest source of applications for international patents in the world in 2020 for the second year in a row with 68,720 applications.
NYPost: Court Packing Would Destroy Judicial Independence

March 03, 2021

President Biden recently announced the creation of a commission to recommend “reforms” to the judicial system that will most likely include the idea of court-packing, which, the authors warn, will destroy judicial independence and transform judges into political actors.
Brookings: Create an Office of Subnational Diplomacy at State Department

February 24, 2021

The Brookings Institution is promoting the creation of a new office of subnational diplomacy within the State Department that will place State Department diplomats within local governments following U.S. President Joe Biden’s pledge for new partnerships between local and federal governments.
Scott: Australia’s Stand-off with Big Tech is Only The Beginning

February 24, 2021

Mark Scott writes for Politico that following Australia’s stand-off with Facebook, a new standard has been set that will have a significant impact as various countries worldwide attempt to define what the internet should resemble going forward.
NSL: Nearly 5,000 Hong Kong Citizens Apply for New UK Visa

February 23, 2021

Nearly 5,000 Hong Kong citizens sign up for new UK visa since London has made changes to its visa rules to give Hong Kong residents fleeing the New Security Law (NSL) a chance to settle in Britain.