The increase of African per capita growth figures led international organisations, the media and pundits to proclaim that the rise of Africa is inevitable, as the result of novel policies and an... Show moreThe increase of African per capita growth figures led international organisations, the media and pundits to proclaim that the rise of Africa is inevitable, as the result of novel policies and an improved environment in the continent. Ian Taylor, in his article ‘Is Africa rising?’, is questioning the arguments on which this narrative is based. The present piece seeks to discuss the main contributions of Taylor’s article and show how it has influenced debates on the topic. Show less
The current article aims to assess proportionality within the context of the Security Council’s practice, focusing specifically on how the Council balances various interests in the design of... Show moreThe current article aims to assess proportionality within the context of the Security Council’s practice, focusing specifically on how the Council balances various interests in the design of sanctions regimes adopted pursuant to Article 41 of the UN Charter. It argues that proportionality in this context plays a role in the Security Council’s targeting decisions on the one hand and in the determination of whose interests are affected by the sanctions on the other. This implies that the Security Council should distinguish, first, between those who should be subjected to sanctions (the targets) and those would should be shielded (third parties) and, second, that it carefully delineates the targets of the sanctions. This article assesses this balancing exercise within the context of the Council’s measures to curb the illegal exploitation of natural resources financing armed conflict on the one hand and with respect to countering the proliferation of nuclear weapons on the other. Show less
Human society has always depended on a substantial input of materials. At the moment our energy supply is almost completely based on fossil fuels with minor contributions of biomass and uranium... Show moreHuman society has always depended on a substantial input of materials. At the moment our energy supply is almost completely based on fossil fuels with minor contributions of biomass and uranium based nuclear. Climate science tells us that, in order to avoid catastrophic impacts, we need a transition to a low-carbon energy system in the next few decades. This means we will need to build a new energy system almost from scratch including wind turbines, solar cells, carbon capture and storage and a smart supergrid. In this work the material requirements of such a transition are analysed. It is concluded that a substantial upscaling of current mining activities is needed very quickly in order to be able to supply the metals needed for this energy transition Show less
