JORGE RODRIGUES SIMÃO

No doubt you have noticed that it isn't all that difficult to get advice for your problems - regardless of the size or nature. To be sure, most individuals will be more than happy to give you guidance on anything imaginable and declare that it is great advice. A lot of them have likely adopted one of Oscar Wilde's principles: "The only thing to do with good advice," concluded Oscar, "is to pass it on. It is never of any use to oneself."

This, in fact, is a darn good question. A problem occurs when there is a difference between what "should be" and what "is" between the ideal and the actual situation. The key to correcting something that is not right in our lives is to try to figure out what is wrong. Put another way, we must identify the problem correctly.

Amnesty International campaign against torture in the world

THE DEFINITION(S) OF TORTURE IN INTERNATIONAL LAW

The international crime of torture

We saw in previous texts that some human rights violations give rise to individual criminal responsibility. We have referred to war crimes and set out the definitions of genocide and crimes against humanity. Such crimes have sometimes been prosecuted in international tribunals and, on occasion, at the national level. Another international crime is the crime of torture. The prohibition on torture in the UN Convention against Torture is described in absolute terms. ("No exceptional circumstances whatsoever, whether a state of war or a threat of war, internal political instability or any other public emergency, may be invoked as a justification of torture.') But we know that torture unfortunately goes on around the world. In this short text, we will focus on four issues: the definition of torture, the arguments that have been put forward to excuse torture in order to prevent a terrorist attack, the prohibition of the use of evidence gleaned from torture, and the ban on sending someone to a country where there is a strong likelihood of them being tortured. It is suggested we can learn a lot about the foundations of human rights thinking from the exploration of these issues. To better understand the challenges involved, it is worth recalling a little of the history of torture. 

China's Rise and the Geopolitics of East Asia

The Return of Geopolitics

A China e a geopolítica global - Perspectivas - Jornal HojeMacau

“The world is entering a demographic transformation of historic and unprecedented dimensions. The coming transformation is both certain and lasting; there is almost no chance that it will not happen-or that it will be reversed in our lifetime. The transformation will affect different groups of countries at different times. The regions of the world will become more unalike before they become more alike. In the countries of the developed world, the transformation will have sweeping strategic, economic, social, and political consequences that could hamper the ability of the United States and its allies to maintain security. Throughout the world, the 2020s will likely emerge as a decade of maximum geopolitical danger.”

The Graying of the Great Powers: Demography and Geopolitics in the 21st Century

Richard Jackson and Neil Howe

O mundo estranha a época não tão longínqua em que apenas uma super potência como os Estados Unidos, determinava o rumo da economia global, e entretinha-se a prevenir e a conjurar as crises financeiras. Os problemas, por vezes, eram enormes e os Estados Unidos recorriam à Europa e ao Japão, e entre si fixavam um roteiro. Os tempos que vivemos não permitem que tal aconteça. Os Estados Unidos estão muito concentrados em reactivar a sua economia de modo sólido, depois da crise, a verdadeira Grande Depressão de 2008, não a de 1930 e a firmado pelo presidente americano no seu sétimo e último discurso sobre o Estado da Nação. A Europa luta por salvar o Euro e toda a arquitectura da Eurozona.