The Seeking Justice Podcast™
Welcome to The Seeking Justice Podcast, a podcast dedicated to exploring and spotlighting issues of justice and injustice throughout the world. I am your host, Benedict Bloggs, a passionate and dedicated social and environmental justice advocate throughout my entire adult life and now a barrister and international human rights advocate based in Brisbane Australia. I want to use this platform to give a voice to the voiceless, to interview interesting guests working on important human rights and social and environmental justice issues and as an independent media mechanism to clarion call forth positive change in our societies.
The Seeking Justice Podcast™
Episode 6 - UN Special Rapporteur - Australia 🇦🇺 Should be Doing Much More for Gaza 🇵🇸
In this episode of the Seeking Justice podcast, Professor Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on Countering Terrorism and Human Rights, discusses his extensive work in international law as a UN Special Rapporteur from West Africa to Gaza, focusing on the challenges of counter-terrorism and human rights, the contentious nature of the use and abuse of the term "terrorism" to undermine human rights and civil liberties, and the importance of defining terrorism in harmony with international human rights law. Professor Saul says that the Australian government and all governments could and should be doing much more to stop the genocide in Gaza and highlights the urgent need for humanitarian assistance to be excluded from the definition of "terrorism". Professor Saul emphasises the role of Australia in upholding international law, the ongoing quest for justice for victims of terrorism and what inspired him to pursue a career in international human rights law.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the Mandate of the UN Special Rapporteur
04:16 Focus on West Africa and Global Counter-Terrorism
05:47 The Broad Mandate of Counterterrorism and Human Rights
09:07 Challenges in Human Rights and Funding
12:24 Contentious Nature of Human Rights Mandates
12:52 Coordination Among Mandate Holders around Gaza Genocide and other issues
16:11 Resources for a UN Special Rapporteur
20:08 A Dark Time for Human Rights in the World
21:08 The Dismantling of the Rule of Law via Dubious Trumpian Claims of "Terrorism"
24:12 Israel Misusing and Abusing Counterterrorism Narratives to Suppress Freedom of Speech and Commit War Crimes etc
27:19 Political Implications of Disingenuous "Terrorism" Designations
28:18 The Definition of Terrorism in International Law
32:45 Defining "Terrorism" Consistent with Human Rights
33:35 Misdefining "Terrorism" to Censor Free Speech
37:56 Terrorism Laws that Criminalise Legitimate Humanitarian Assistance
39:59 What Should the Australian Government be doing in relation to the Gaza Genocide?
45:11 Justice for Victims of Terrorism
47:35 Inspirations for Pursuing a Career in International Human Rights Law
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