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Sex trafficking is a prominent human rights issue that has been increasingly associated with the hosting of large-scale sport events. Despite insufficient evidence demonstrating a causal or correlative link, event stakeholders have implemented antitrafficking efforts in attempts to prevent and promote awareness of sex trafficking. Using Google Trends data to measure audiences' information-seeking behavior online and Twitter data as a proxy for antitrafficking efforts on social media, we employed a difference-in-differences approach to estimate the change in online demand for sex-trafficking information among the residents of Miami-Dade, the host city of Super Bowl LIV (54). Findings highlight an increase in the online demand for sex-trafficking information in the host city during and after the event. This increased demand attributed to the Super Bowl may offer support for host communities utilizing sport events to promote awareness of pressing social issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine factors associated with participation of community-dwelling older Australians (≥65 years) in the Exercise Right for Active Ageing program, consisting of 12 low- to moderate-intensity group exercise classes, delivered weekly, in person or online, by accredited exercise scientists and physiologists across Australia. Out of 6,949 participants recruited, 6,626 (95%) attended one or more classes and were included in the primary analysis, and 49% of participants attended all 12 classes. Factors associated with higher class attendance included participation in yoga/flexibility/mobility classes, attendance at a free trial class (adjusted incidence rate ratio [95% confidence interval]: 1.05 [1.03, 1.08]), and attending online classes (1.19 [1.11, 1.26]). Factors associated with lower class attendance included state of residence, living in inner regional areas (0.95 [0.93, 0.98]), and having two or more comorbidities (0.97 [0.95, 0.99]). High class attendance suggests that the Exercise Right for Active Ageing program was well received by older Australians, particularly in states less impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of this study was to extend the contemporary athlete activism literature by (a) exploring athlete activism beyond a strictly North American context and (b) examining how athlete activism at an organizational/institutional level (i.e., sport organization) may be framed differently than activist efforts at an individual level (i.e., athlete). By examining two examples of activism in German soccer, we show that the framing of both athlete-enacted and organization-enacted examples of activism highlighted the importance of speaking up when human rights are violated, called for the display of solidarity, and discussed the broader political implications for such protests. Additionally, framing of both examples of activism included voices of criticism regarding the sport organizations governing global sport. As calls for accountability of sport organizations suppressing athlete expression are becoming increasingly common in global sport, this study adds to a shifting focus of activism research targeting the sport institutions that often perpetuate the various injustices individual athletes call attention to. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to researching the content and legal nature of the human right to gender identity. It is noted that the right to gender identity is an integral part of human rights. International organizations such as the UN recognize the importance of protecting people's rights to self-identification. At the same time, ensuring legal protection of gender identity promotes social inclusion and equality, which is extremely important for creating a tolerant and just society where all people can live without fear of discrimination. It was concluded that the right to gender identity can be understood as a given person the opportunity to self-identify as a representative of a certain sex, to perform actions in accordance with his gender identity regarding the change of biological and/or social sex, as well as to demand from others to refrain from actions that violate this right. In addition, legal recognition of gender identity has a direct impact on people's mental and physical health, as research shows that legal protection and support of gender identity reduces stress, depression and suicidal thoughts among transgender people. It was analyzed that from a legal point of view, gender identity can be considered as a good, an object of the corresponding personal non-property right, characterized by the following components: 1) self-determination of a person as a representative of a certain gender; 2) gender selfexpression through the so-called social manners of gender (name, appearance, manner of behavior, clothes, accessories, etc.), which creates a holistic perception of a person as a representative of the corresponding gender. It is noted that the European Court of Human Rights has unequivocally established a positive obligation for European states to ensure legal recognition of gender. However, when it comes to the practical implementation of this obligation, it is necessary to carefully evaluate the procedures for their compatibility with human rights. This section will help when working on amendments or new gender recognition legislation by explaining the guidelines for developing procedures, the requirements and implications of the law, providing information on case law and relevant human rights standards, and identifying common problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper deals with the problem of distinguishing Internet law from Information Law and IT Law, establishing its place among other branches of law, reveals the main criteria for legal regulation of IT Law and fixing the basic principles of its functioning. Attention is focused on the fact that IT and the Internet network are interrelated, since the latter is the habitat of the former, and at the same time, the latter does not make any sense without tools with which any information can be processed. Thus, when considering the definitions of „information", „іnformation technologies" and „Internet network" in the context of the digital space, it was determined that they are interrelated - information is the main element, information technologies are used to work with information (for collecting, storing, processing), and the Internet network is used for transmitting and exchanging data. Such a conclusion can provide a complete picture of how and in accordance with what hierarchy these concepts should be displayed from the point of view of Information Law, IT Law and Internet Law. It was found that Information Law is essentially a broader concept than IT Law and undoubtedly includes it, however, given the specifics of the environment in which the relevant legal relations arise and the subject performing various operations with information, it would be more expedient to separate it into a separate institution of the former. This division is due in particular to the emergence of new areas of development, such as the institute of artificial intelligence, the institute of cloud technologies, the institute of digital signature and the globalization of the Internet network. Thus, Information Law and IT Law regulate a homogeneous range of public relations and are essentially related as an industry and an institution, but they have certain differences that are due to the environment of the emergence of regulatory relations. In turn, Internet Law is a separate branch of law that should regulate public relations that arise in the appropriate environment and consolidate fundamental digital rights and obligations, based on an international character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to understanding the role of the institution of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the context of armed conflict, which is accompanied by a gross leveling of the category of «human rights» and devaluation of its existential essence, and as a result, this determines the strengthening of the institutional capacity of the Ombudsman of Ukraine in the context of the national human rights protection mechanism. The object of this scientific research is the functioning of the Ombudsman of Ukraine in the constitutional and legal dimension of human rights protection, and thus the subject of the study is limited to the peculiarities of the implementation of the human rights functions of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights through the prism of the armed conflict. The methodological basis of the study is a system of general scientific and special methods of scientific cognition, the most common of which are dialectical, formal legal (dogmatic), legal comparative method, legal hermeneutics method, as well as modeling, analysis and synthesis methods which were used to formulate certain definitions, proposed scientific approaches, and to develop certain positions based on the review of regulatory and legal material. Based on the results of this study, the author proposes to deviate from the statutory time limits for applying to the Ombudsman by persons who are in the temporarily occupied part of the territory in order to provide appropriate legal protection and guarantee consideration of applications from this category of applicants, and determines the moment when the time limits begin to be calculated, the feasibility of such an approach, and models different time limits. Interpreting the provisions of the Law of Ukraine «On the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights», the author proposes and deepens the understanding of «exceptional circumstances» for extending the time limits for filing an appeal during the armed conflict for no more than two years. The author draws attention to the state of practical implementation of the principle of institutional independence of the Ombudsman under martial law, notes the imperfect regulation of the direct principle in legislation and comes to a consolidated conclusion that it is necessary to regulate certain provisions of legal acts to ensure full establishment of the principle of impartiality and independence of the legal institution, and suggests options for eliminating conflicts of law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article clarifies the actual issues of non-application of the law by the court on the grounds of its contradiction with the Constitution of Ukraine, in particular: the historical evolution of the legislative regulation of the possibility of non-application of the norms of the law on the grounds of their contradiction with the Constitution; peculiarities of modern regulation of this issue and key problems that arise in practice; proposals for improving legislation and judicial practice. It was concluded that one of the most typical forms of direct application of the provisions of the Constitution, along with the possibility of applying the Constitution in the absence of legislative regulation, is the possibility of law enforcement contra legem, i.e. law enforcement contrary to the law due to its (law’s) inconsistency with the Constitution. The fundamental possibility of not applying a law that contradicts the Constitution of Ukraine directly follows from the idea of the supremacy of the Constitution of Ukraine, the recognition of its provisions as norms of direct effect, and, ultimately, from the principle of the rule of law. Another issue is that such an opportunity should have an adequate procedural form of its expression, as well as be organically combined with the activities of the body of constitutional jurisdiction, the specialized body of constitutional control-CCU. Historically, initially, Ukrainian legislation required a stay of proceedings in case of doubt about unconstitutionality, however, the legislation itself was contradictory and conflicting, which made such a stay almost impossible in practice. At the same time, there was an approach that in the absence of doubt, that is, when there is a clear certainty of the unconstitutionality of the application of contra legem, it is possible and no suspension of the proceedings is necessary. Such ideas were partially embodied in the 2017 reform, when courts in all types of proceedings, except for criminal ones, received an explicit opportunity not to apply the law, at the same time turning to the Supreme Court (assuming that the latter would later turn to the CCU). At the same time, there was the problem of motivating such a conclusion, the actual practice of appeals to the Supreme Court, the role of the Supreme Court itself (which sends relevant submissions very rarely). In addition, the experience of foreign countries proves the need for courts to interact with the constitutional court without intermediaries. In practice, significant concerns about the possibility of non-application of the law arise in the field of social rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes the problem of implementing freedom of speech in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine, as well as compares the actual situation of observing the human right to freedom of speech before and after Russia’s annexation of four regions of Ukraine in 2022. During the study, cases of arbitrary restriction of this freedom by the occupation administration of the Russian Federation were characterized and the reasons for such restrictions were determined. The article emphasizes that the real purpose of establishing restrictions on freedom of speech and other human rights and freedoms by the aggressor state is to ensure the internal stability of the Russian authoritarian regime. In order to achieve this goal, the Russian political nomenclature resorts to the practice of underestimating or excluding the role of representative institutions, as well as canceling or significantly limiting the political rights and freedoms of residents of the territories controlled by Russia. The article states that due to the effective control of certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions by the Russian Federation since 2014, the Russian establishment managed to spread its autocratic practices on the territory of the self-proclaimed «republics» even before their annexation. In order to realize this goal, the occupation administration created formal grounds that allowed it to significantly limit the rights of residents in the territories under its control, although arbitrary restrictions on human rights, in particular the right to freedom of thought and speech, to the free expression of views and beliefs, were observed in the territories of Donetsk and Luhansk regions from the first days of their transition under the control of Russian militants. As a result of conducting a comparative legal analysis of the real situation of freedom of speech in the occupied territories of Ukraine before and after their annexation by the Russian Federation, it was concluded that the annexation by Russia of four regions of Ukraine in 2022 made it more difficult for residents to exercise their right to freely express their views and beliefs. The deterioration of the situation with civil space and fundamental freedoms in the occupied regions of Ukraine is explained by the fact that, as a result of the violent and illegal temporary rejection of part of the territory of Ukraine, Russia extended the effect of its administrative-delict and criminal legislation to these territories, in particular the so-called «fakes laws», by which the Russian Federation introduced military censorship on its territory in March 2022. Compared to the territory of the Russian Federation, in the occupied Ukrainian regions the realization of human and citizen rights and freedoms is further complicated by the introduction of martial law by the Russian occupation administration, which gave Russia a formal opportunity to continue arbitrarily restricting a number of rights and freedoms in the aforementioned territories. Taking into account these and other arguments presented in the article, the conclusions were reached that improving the situation of freedom of speech in the respective regions is possible only in the case of restoration of Ukrainian sovereignty over the temporarily occupied territories and the prevention of any form of interference of the Russian authoritarian regime in the public and political life of Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reveals the legal positions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine regarding everyone’s right to information. Attention is focused on information that is collected by state authorities, local self-government bodies, institutions and organizations, and which is not a state or other secret protected by the Law of Ukraine «On Information» and which every person has the right to familiarize himself with. Separate attention is focused on confidential information (information with limited access). One of the types of confidential information is medical information, which, on the one hand, in special cases provided for by the Fundamentals of the Health Care Legislation of Ukraine, can be disclosed to family members or a legal representative of the patient, and on the other hand, in accordance with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights person in the case of «M.K. against Ukraine» confirmation by a doctor of a patient’s illness to a member of his family, even if he learned about it from the patient himself, is an interference by the state in a person’s right to private life, and in the case of infectious diseases, it is qualified as not carried out «in accordance with the law». Attention is focused on the fact that such situations arise more and more when military personnel undergo medical examinations and that there are prohibitive norms of a special law that forbid the disclosure of medical information regarding a certain list of diseases of a military personnel to his employer (military unit), commander, family members of the military personnel. Regarding the confidentiality of information and about a person who holds a position related to the performance of the functions of the state, local self-government bodies, and about members of his family, the legal positions of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine are established: absolutely in each specific case it is determined whether information about a person belongs to confidential; there are guarantees of protection of the rights of the above-mentioned persons, and additional legal burdens, and therefore the state is called upon to ensure a balance of public and private interest. The article also draws attention to the fact that even under martial law conditions, control (direct; indirect) by institutions of public power is prohibited both in terms of content and dissemination of information, even if the state pursues such a goal as protecting the information space from what is considered harmful by the state information that is not necessary for society. The practice of the Constitutional Court of Ukraine on this issue is established. Attention is focused on the fact that censorship cannot be used in Ukraine to protect the information field of the state even in war conditions - it is prohibited in part 3 of Art. 15 of the Constitution of Ukraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beginning of the new millennium is the period of the formation of a single information space, the formation of a global information society, the main factor in the development of which is the use of information. The processes of global informatization have a dual nature: on the one hand, they contribute to the security of the individual, society and the state, and on the other hand, information technologies pose certain threats to it. The article analyzes the possibilities of using artificial intelligence (AI) as a type of information technology (IT). Emphasis is placed on the positive and negative aspects of its impact on human rights. It was found that certain threats to humans arise when using the latest AI technologies. As a result of the analysis of international documents, it was established that the governments of many countries around the world are currently trying to protect users of digital services from its harmful effects, developing their strategies for the development and regulation of AI for this purpose. The emergence of the latest technologies has given rise to a number of new problems in the field of human rights. This is evidenced by a number of international documents on «digital human rights». So, for example, the «Portuguese Charter of Human Rights in the Digital Age», «Lisbon Declaration», «European Declaration on Digital Rights and Principles of the Digital Decade» in their provisions, on the one hand, emphasize the rights to use AI technologies, and on the other – on the safety of these technologies for humans. This caused heated discussions among scientists in the context of human information rights: whether AI as a type of information technology can be a safe means for realizing the human right to use it, and whether it can claim the status of a kind of «subject of law» in the future, which is a threat to human rights. The understanding of these problems caused by the development of AI has already become a joint task not only of scientists in the field of law, but also of scientists in the social sciences and humanities, as well as developers of computer programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the internal mechanisms for resolving labour disputes between staff and administration within african international intergovernmental organisations, such as: African Union, Southern African Development Community, Economic Community of West African States. It is indicated that within the African Union there are informal and formal stages of dispute resolution -- an appeal for review to the chairperson or competent authority of any other body and an appeal to the Administrative Tribunal. It is noted that the Administrative Tribunal is competent to consider applications for violations of the Staff Rules and Regulations; non-observance of contracts of employment and any other acts of employment; and, in certain cases, complaints about disciplinary sanctions. It is emphasised that the feature of protection of labour rights of the African Union staff is the provision enshrined in the Staff Rules and Regulations, according to which a staff member may, under certain circumstances, appeal to the African Court of Justice and Human Rights. It is stated that the Southern African Development Community Administrative Tribunal has jurisdiction to hear and resolve labour disputes between the Community Secretariat and any of its institutions. The Tribunal has two levels: First Instance and Appeal Board. It is noted that the system of internal labour dispute resolution of the Economic Community of West African States provides for the submission of an application for review, hierarchical recourse, and referral of the case to the Committee for Conciliation of Staff and Dispute Resolution. An Inter-Institutional Appeals Committee is established to deal with disciplinary appeals in relation to the application of the Staff Regulations, to which employees or their next of kin can apply. It is stated that the staff of any institution may apply to the Court of Justice of the Community after the staff member has exhausted all appeal procedures available to the official under the ECOWAS Staff Rules and Regulations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes the institutional mechanism for ensuring the right to development at the international universal level. The functions and mandate of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Working Group on the Right to Development, the High-level Task Force on the Implementation of the Right to Development, the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development, the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, etc. are described. It is noted that the right to development is the only human right specifically mentioned in resolution 48/141 of the UN General Assembly, by which it established the position of High Commissioner and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. It is highlighted the functions of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights in ensuring the right to development. It is described the mandate of the Working Group on the Right to Development, which includes: monitoring and analysis of progress made in the promotion and implementation of the right to development at the national and international levels, making recommendations and further analysis of obstacles to its full implementation; review of reports and any other information submitted by States, UN agencies, other relevant international organisations and nongovernmental organisations on the relationship between their activities and the right to development, etc. It is noted that the High-level Task Force on the Implementation of the Right to Development was established within the framework of the Working Group on the Right to Development to assist it in fulfilling its mandate. It is stated that the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Development contributes to the realisation of the right to development by developing practical guidance to implement the right and to integrate it within development policies and programmes at local, national, regional and international levels. The functions and mandate of the Special Rapporteur are highlighted. It is described the activities of the Expert Mechanism on the Right to Development, which provides the Human Rights Council with thematic expertise on the right to development in searching for, identifying and sharing best practices with Member States and promotes the implementation of the right to development worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Constitution of Ukraine, the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the rule of law, p. According to the study of this direction, various scientists paid a lot of attention to the study of the problems of official criminal offenses and the use of special knowledge in general. However, no monographic scientific research has been carried out in Ukraine, which would combine scientific assets in the direction of special knowledge and official falsification and would reflect a comprehensive approach to the mentioned issues, despite the undoubted relevance of this topic and the need for practice, 89.6% of the respondents testified to the need for a comprehensive study of it. And although combating corruption was identified as one of the state's priority areas, law enforcement agencies have difficulties in proving official forgery, which actualizes the need to highlight the possibilities of using special knowledge during the investigation of such facts. So, based on the experience of scientists, practical workers, taking into account changes in legislation and the specifics of official criminal offenses, we made an attempt to investigate the origins of the development of scientific opinion on official forgery, the possibilities of using special knowledge during their investigation, and to determine the main directions for improving their investigation. The closest to the topic of our research is the organization and tactics of the investigation of official forgery, which highlights: the content of the forensic characteristics of official forgery, its elements, such as the methods of committing the crime, the identity of the criminal, the object of the crime, a typical investigative picture; correlational dependencies between the elements of the forensic characteristics of official forgeries were revealed; types of methods of counteracting the investigation of official forgery in modern conditions (refusal to issue documents, items requested by the investigator, limiting the investigator's access to information, refusal to provide samples for comparative research, influence on the investigator, in particular with the help of a defense attorney), the means of overcoming them are outlined; classification of means of investigative verification of information on the detection of signs of official forgery; the classification of circumstances to be established during the investigation of official forgeries, namely: general circumstances characteristic of the investigation of crimes in general, and special circumstances - the fact that the forged document belongs to an official one, the type and method of document forgery, the connection of the forged document with others and the consequences, that arose in connection with the validity of the document, etc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article is devoted to the study of the legal regulation of the asylum granting and ensuring of the refugees’ rights in the European Union. Within the framework of the article, the legal basis of the Common European Asylum System functioning, the creation of which is laid down in the constituent treaties of the European Union, is investigated. In particular, it is determined that the purpose of such a common system is to establish unified standards for determining the criteria for admissibility of applications for asylum or international protection, a similar procedure for considering such applications and the grounds for refusing or suspending the status of a refugee or a person seeking temporary protection, as well as determining the state, responsible for providing asylum, uniform standards for ensuring the rights of refugees, as well as common principles of cooperation between the Member States and partner states that are not members of the Union. The key provisions of the Directive on qualification criteria, on the procedure for granting asylum and international protection, on the conditions of reception and rights of refugees, as well as the Dublin Regulation and the Eurodac Regulation were analyzed. The authors put an emphasis on the fact that because of the full-scale invasion and emergence of the war on the territory of Ukraine, significant changes were made to the process and procedures for granting refugee status and providing asylum within the framework of the legislation of the European Union. The latest Pact on Migration and Asylum was analyzed, especially regarding changes in ensuring border security, quick and effective procedures for considering and obtaining the status of a refugee or a person seeking international protection, solidarity and responsibility among countries that are obliged to provide asylum, as well as strengthening international cooperation in the field of migration. The authors express their support for those concerns regarding alleged violations that may occur after the entry into force of the Pact, in connection with the threat of violations of fundamental human rights. It was concluded that ensuring dignity and respect for human rights is a priority, considering that refugees are recognized as persons who have already suffered violations and were forced to leave their homes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the content and level of human rights protection in the activities of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine. It analyzes various aspects of the border agency’s operations, including organizational and legal foundations, methods and forms of control, and personnel training. The importance of clarifying the content of international human rights documents and standards for the effective work of border guard agencies and units is thoroughly discussed. The authors emphasize that knowledge and understanding of these provisions are crucial for law enforcement officers in their daily activities. Emphasis is placed on the fact that understanding the requirements of these documents helps ensure that the actions of the border agency comply with international standards and norms regarding human rights protection. Additionally, it is noted that such activities contribute to the formation of appropriate approaches and behavior among law enforcement officers when dealing with citizens, detaining individuals, and resolving conflict situations. Accordingly, understanding and utilizing international standards is an important element in the professional activities of border guards to ensure the protection of human rights and freedoms. Various approaches and strategies that can be applied to ensure and protect human rights and freedoms during the operational activities of the border service are analyzed. Possible ways to further enhance the effectiveness of this work are highlighted, including improving legislation, increasing personnel qualifications, and implementing new methods and technologies for working with people. Attention is drawn to the importance of developing and implementing a comprehensive approach to ensuring human rights and freedoms in the activities of the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine, which takes into account various aspects of its functioning and human needs. Such an approach allows optimizing the work of the service with maximum protection of citizens’ rights and freedoms. The conclusion is made about the necessity of restructuring the relationship between border guards and people on the basis of partnership, as well as improving the forms, methods, and means of ensuring human rights and freedoms. It is important that the service personnel adhere to international human rights standards in their activities and continually enhance their competence in this area. The need to improve the efficiency of the border service requires a thorough and systematic scientific analysis of its organizational and legal foundations in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the growing role and importance of socially responsible business behavior. This is associated with a number of factors, such as the increasing ethical consciousness of society, the growing impact of business on the environment and people’s lives, and intensified competition in the market. It is noted that socially responsible business behavior involves respect for human rights, environmental protection, investment in human capital, and the fight against corruption. The purpose of the article is to explore and substantiate the ways to stimulate business towards socially responsible and respect human rights in the economic sphere. This goal is realized in the article by solving the following research tasks: the author analyzes the concept and essence of socially responsible business behavior and respect for human rights in international legal documents; defines the basic principles of socially responsible business behavior; studies the factors influencing the incentives for business towards socially responsible behavior; and develops and substantiates a complex of measures to stimulate business towards socially responsible behavior and respect for human rights. The author explores the role of business in society and the need to take into account social and ethical aspects in its activities. The author analyzes the impact of socially responsible behavior of business entities on economic development and positive impact on society as a whole. The expected results of the proposed measures are determined. The general conclusion of the article is that socially responsible business behavior and respect for human rights in the economic sphere are important components of sustainable development in modern society. Specific recommendations are proposed for enterprises to engage in these processes and maximize their social impact. The results of this study can be used to develop and implement state policy in the field of stimulating socially responsible business behavior, as well as for self-improvement of business entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The modern digital world opens up many opportunities for communication, learning, and entertainment. However, along with these opportunities, the number of threats is also increasing. The development of information technologies is accompanied by a rapid spread of offenses in this area. Cyberbullying, as a form of digital violence, has become a serious threat to children in the virtual space. It is a dynamic phenomenon, because it is becoming more dangerous every year, and the number of people affected by it is increasing. Cyberbullying violates not only emotional and social well-being but also security, which is one of the fundamental human rights. Given the increasing digitization of society and the increase in the number of online interactions, understanding and effectively combating cyberbullying is becoming an extremely important component of creating a safe and healthy environment for children’s development. The scientific research is devoted to the investigation of the problem of cyberbullying how to ensure a child right to safety in the online environment. The article analyzes various aspects of cyberbullying, including approaches to defining the concept by foreign and Ukrainian scientists, its types, and consequences for children’s development. An analysis of the legislation was carried out, and the effectiveness of the measures provided by it to prevent and counteract the above-mentioned phenomenon was analyzed. The role of educational institutions and their effectiveness in combating cyberbullying has been studied. It was concluded that there is no single approach to defining the concept of cyberbullying and its types. It was said that the negative impact can have various manifestations and can be both psychological and physical. It was also concluded that there are problems in the effectiveness of measures aimed at combating cyberbullying. The conclusions of the article indicate the importance of a comprehensive approach to the problem of cyberbullying and the need for joint efforts of all interested parties to create a safe online environment for children, forming a model of responsible behavior in cyberspace. The need to develop and implement effective strategies against cyberbullying aimed at ensuring and protecting the child right to safety is emphasized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific article explored various aspects of limitations on human rights and freedoms, including their classification, mechanisms, and application features. The article highlighted the distinction between direct restrictions on rights and limitations on their implementation, as well as voluntary and compulsory limitations. The main principle of the study was to ensure a balance between the protection of individual rights and the state’s need to ensure security and order. Various types of limitations that may arise in times of war or emergency were analyzed in detail, taking into account their legality, proportionality, and justification. Restrictions on human rights are only temporary in nature. Human rights can be limited only if this is directly provided for by the Constitution of Ukraine and does not contradict the norms of international law. Only in this case, restrictions can be considered legitimate and legal. It is also necessary to say that from the point of view of practical application, the problem of the relationship between private rights and state activity is particularly important for constitutional law: on the one hand, the state, and on the other, a person. We mean that the state is created by people for themselves, in order to protect their rights, but again, the state arises as a response to the inability of human society to live without it, without its power and limitations, the state becomes, as it were, the highest manifestation of social organization and order, the only guarantor of security, stability and development. To date, the issue of restrictions on human and citizen rights in the rule of law by state authorities has become the most urgent. The main facts of violation of human and citizen rights are violations by the state, as well as violations by individuals. The legislation of Ukraine stipulates that the rights and freedoms of a person and a citizen can be limited only to the extent that it is necessary for the security of the state, the population and the defense of the country. Therefore, the establishment of certain prohibitions caused by the specified legal regime should be of an exclusively temporary nature. The article also discussed the classification of human rights based on their content and the possibility of limitation, providing a basis for further research in this area. Thus, important aspects of restricting human and citizen rights were revealed, contributing to an understanding of their essence and scope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The right to information in the broadest sense is a component of the constitutional and legal status of a person in the country, and the existence of an effective mechanism for realizing this right, including its protection, demonstrates the state of reality of the proclaimed principles of the rule of law. The article is an attempt to provide a broad overview of the possibilities of protecting the rights of individuals and legal entities to information in Ukraine. The authors tried not to limit themselves to analyzing the mechanisms of a specific branch of law, but made an attempt to outline possible violations of the right to information and analyze the legal means of stopping such violations and preventing negative manifestations in the future. The article analyzes both jurisdictional and non-jurisdictional ways of protecting the right to information, which have their own specific features of manifestation and application within different branches of law. The author considers the ways of protecting the right to information through the mechanisms of civil, administrative and economic branches of law, and makes a certain systematization of the types of violations of the right to information depending on the subject of violation (private or public), on the consequences, on the nature and manifestation of violations. The authors analyzes the positions of national courts and the European Court of Human Rights regarding the existence of legislative restrictions on judges in choosing the ways to protect the applicants’ right to information. The authors also compare the approaches of the European and Ukrainian legislators to the interpretation of the concept of “non-jurisdictional remedies” on the example of legal acts regulating the procedure for exercising information rights, and provide examples of relevant preventive measures (technical and organizational). The authors analyzes the capabilities of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the mechanism of protection of the right to information and provides examples of the use of his/her powers in response to appeals on violation of the right to information. Gaps in information legislation are identified and ways to eliminate them are suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article analyzes various approaches to the interpretation of the concept of an international human rights institution. The author’s definition of the concept of an international human rights institution is proposed, which should be understood as an international association endowed by the relevant states and (or) other entities with its own international legal personality, based on an international treaty or other document provided for by the norms of international law, the purpose of which is achieving goals related to the protection of the rights and freedoms of a person, and which, as a rule, has its own system of bodies acting on a permanent basis. It was noted that in the process of forming the institute of international organizations, the main attention of the states was focused on the creation of international intergovernmental organizations, which have executed and continue to execute a significant influence on the course of world events. International interstate organizations are one of the three important institutions through which interstate cooperation is carried out. Created in accordance with special international treaties, they have international legal personality and a clearly defined organizational structure, reflect the main goals, tasks and competence and act in accordance with the norms of international law. Despite the fact that international human rights institutions have a subsidiary character to national protection bodies, they provide considerable influence by making appropriate decisions based on the results of consideration of individual appeals from victims whose rights and freedoms are violated. The process of applying for the protection of rights and freedoms to international human rights institutions is a kind of one of the forms of activity of the relevant legal entity. The article highlights the main characteristics of international human rights institutions, which include: 1) contractual basis, 2) existence of defined goals, 3) appropriate organizational structure, 4) existence of independent rights and obligations, 5) possibility of considering applications from victims of rights violations and freedoms and the adoption of relevant decisions (conclusions, recommendations), 6) the possibility of influencing the defendant state, which violates the rights and freedoms of a person, 7) the permanent nature of the activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines access to justice as an element of the rule of law in a modern democratic state. The issue of securing access to justice in the legislative practice of countries is detailed. Practice is analyzed, where access to justice is considered as an opportunity for any interested person to go to court without hindrance and participate in the legal process at all its stages. At the same time, it is emphasized that such access implies access to national and international justice systems. This significantly contributes to a person’s ability to defend himself against encroachments on his rights, compensation for damage caused by offenses and self-defense in criminal proceedings. It is proven that access to justice is increasingly included in the international and national practice of states and begins to occupy an important place in the organization and functioning of the judiciary. It is noted that today the concept of access to justice does not have a unified approach to its understanding in the circles of the scientific community. The development of this issue continues for a considerable period of time. Long-standing discussions give reasons to testify that access to justice is an extremely broad concept that can be distinguished as a separate concept, principle or right. It is emphasized that in this context it is extremely important to emphasize the mechanisms of human rights protection, that is, its application to those categories of the population that do not have the opportunity and resources to go to court. In view of this, it is extremely important to apply the principle of equality before the court in practice. This will make it possible to ensure equal access to the trial for all participants in the process. The international experience of access to justice and its generalization in legal practice is analyzed. It is noted that international law has singled out an important component of access to justice, which is the right to access international mechanisms for ensuring the protection of human rights. It is emphasized that the justice system can use the norms of international law, including anti-discrimination norms. The key in this process is ensuring access to justice, which is an important basis for the conclusion of international treaties and the effective functioning of international human rights organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Global citizenship' has gained traction as a policy objective across school systems in recent decades. It has been defined as education for the development of a sense of cosmopolitan moral virtue, planetary identification and 'global competencies'. In this paper, I argue that historical sociology can help explain why this goal has gained prominence in citizenship education policy since the late twentieth century. Focussing on the Australian case, I propose an analytical model where changes in citizenship education policy for schools are articulated to concurrent transformations of nation-state citizenship within a shifting international conjuncture. This approach reveals that the rise of neoliberal statecraft and the diffusion of human rights discourses since the 1970s are pertinent analytical coordinates to make sense of the growing presence of global citizenship within government policy agendas for schools. The Australian case illustrates the relevance of historical sociology to make sense of contemporary education policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The outbreak of COVID-19 ominously heralded a health crisis across the world. The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the virus a public health emergency in January 2020 and the world became concerned with the havoc the disease would potentially cause. Though the pandemic was a health crisis, it posed a lethal challenge to shaky contemporary democracies across the world. Governments, including that of Zimbabwe, responded to the pandemic by enacting sweeping stringent lockdown regulations to control the spread of the disease. The regulations curtailed freedom of mobility, regulated public gatherings, and suspended electoral processes. This article looks at how the pandemic has been used to limit citizens' civil liberties, erode the tenets of democracy, profoundly altered the pre-existing democratic trajectory, and entrenched the Zimbabwe state on the path of authoritarianism. Through a review of available secondary literature, the study systematically analysed the political developments as reported in electronic (including social media-twitter) and print media during the pandemic. The study established that the response by the Zimbabwe government to the COVID-19 pandemic compromised the security of persons, undermined democracy and electoral processes. The health crisis presented an opportunity for the consolidation of authoritarian rule. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shakespeare's First Folio included publication of Coriolanus, a play that is said to be inflected by political events at the time of its writing and still so by its publication during a period the English parliament was in abeyance, having been dissolved the year before. In this paper, we take up Raffield and Watt's (2008) invitation to consider the relationship between Shakespeare's work and the nation-state, by considering the relationship between Coriolanus, and specifically the quasi-parliamentarian characters of the tribunes or representatives of the people, and contemporary Australian parliamentarians. We are particularly interested in how parliamentarians approach and grapple with their role as representatives of the people when undertaking human rights scrutiny of proposed laws, and explore this in relation to the tribunes' approach to their representative role when making political decisions. We follow Raffield and Watt's suggestion that, in early modern England, 'government was conducted and represented as theatre' (2008: 4) and argue that, in contemporary Australia, parliamentary work is still conducted and represented as theatre, and therefore it is necessary to adopt a theatre or performance lens when considering the ways in which parliamentarians perform their work as both representatives and legislators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the recent proliferation of anti-discrimination protections supporting LGBTIQ+ youth internationally, backlash periods have ensued. Whilst liberal-progressive rights models theorise 'backlash' as an expected consequence of rights recognitions progress, some post-colonial and Queer scholars frame backlash within enduring authoritarian anti-rights tendencies, and question assumptions of progress. To understand backlash more adequately, this paper explores state-level anti-LGBTIQ+ Bills potentially impacting youth proposed in the USA between 2018 and 2022. Critical discourse analysis is used to map the different types, locations, conceptual arrangements and outcomes of 543 anti-LGBTIQ+ rights US state-level proposed Bills. Bill attempts were mainly concentrated in Republican-governed states including Tennessee (48), Missouri (40), Iowa (39), Oklahoma (32) and Texas (32). Overly extended claims concerning girls/women's religious and parental rights were advanced in opposition to LGBTIQ+ youth rights, and as part of wider rights attacks. Bills used anti-rights and pro-rights discourses to mask as 'backlash' the rights claims advanced by elite-led anti-rights mobilisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies have demonstrated how the discrimination and violence experienced by LGBT+ children and young people affect their mental health and quality of life. Training for professionals working with children and young people is a key means of helping them provide the necessary support to LGBT+ children and youth people, for handling any violence that may occur in their immediate environment, as well as for empowering them. This article discusses changes in the attitudes, beliefs and practices of professionals working with children and young people following their participation in a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) delivered through the online platform of the University of Girona. Two surveys were carried out with the participants – the first at the beginning of the course, and the second at the end – in order to evaluate possible changes. Participants' attitudes, beliefs and practices regarding sexuality and gender diversity in childhood improved, even when taking into account the fact that many began from an initial position of support. The use of MOOC training has value, given the need to engage with sexuality and gender diversity as part of formal training for a variety of professionals working with children and young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Any wrongful conviction causes severe violations to the individual, their loved ones, the criminal justice system, and the validity of justice. While Anglo-American countries have focused on wrongful convictions since the 1930s, some Asian contexts have only considered these unjust errors within the scope of their legal approaches since the 2010s. To investigate this issue, this paper conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of the Scopus and Google Scholar databases, collecting 36 English peer-reviewed articles from 710 publications between 2010 and 2021. Our two primary goals include: 1) reviewing the scope and response of Asian countries to wrongful convictions and 2) identifying the main factors that led to these wrongful convictions. Findings indicate that almost all publications have focused on China and Japan as representatives of Eastern Asia. Very few studies discussed other Asian areas. Alongside five similarities with Western societies, such as 1) false confessions, 2) torture, 3) misconduct, 4) eyewitness identification errors, and 5) misused forensic science, political factors and criminal justice struggles reflect the unique issues underpinning Asia's wrongful convictions. Ultimately, our study calls for broader future research of a greater range of Asian countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energy projects are increasingly being implemented at scale to meet global climate goals, often targeting lands on the margins of the state and affecting the livelihoods of Indigenous or marginalized populations. This article argues a need for project-developers, investors and rights advocates to consider the potentially significant 'gap' between their expectations that the rights of local populations will be settled at the start of a particular investment and the conflicts over rights, recognition and benefits that emerge during implementation that risk derailing investments. This is particularly relevant for renewable investments, as their claims to global and national benefits divert attention from their local impacts. Empirically, this is explored through the case of the Lake Turkana Wind Power project in Kenya. Based on interviews and literature review, the article examines the relations between the key stakeholders in this project by acknowledging their various 'ways of seeing' rights. Ruling elites often see rights as settled once they have been written into law and investors assume that rights have been dealt with at the project's start, but local populations typically begin exploring their rights following project-induced changes. The interaction of stakeholders with such diverse views has important implications for the practice of human rights in the context of renewable energy investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taken together these essays reveal both synergies and contradictions between and within immigration and welfare policies. Several common themes emerge. Firstly, while access to the welfare state is an important signifier of membership, in practice claiming certain state benefits is accompanied by suspicion, surveillance and stigma. The good citizen is a worker citizen. Secondly, the importance of the welfare state in putting the nation into the nation-state: the normative national community imagined as the rightful subject of welfare states is racialised and classed. Thirdly, deservingness functions in both welfare states and immigration regimes to prioritise victimhood rather than rights and redistribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The first keyword, Welfare State, sets out to problematise the term itself. The welfare state is a national construct, a 'national social state' as Etienne Balibar calls it. Thus, transnational or global migration is often construed as a disruptive force, potentially destabilising the welfare state and the nation. This keyword entry critically examines common conceptions of what the welfare state should provide. It delineates some of the ways that migrants (and, more broadly foreign nationals who are not themselves necessarily migrants) are excluded or partially included, with a focus on contemporary EU social policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of increased mobility and restrictive immigration policies in Europe, a growing number of people live in conditional and deportable positions with only limited social rights and access to welfare services. In this keyword, we discuss how the conception of national citizenship that underpins immigration and welfare regimes affects the position of non-citizens, with a particular focus on legal status as an instrument of hierarchisation and social marginalisation in European societies. Immigration systems create hierarchies and divisions by establishing different legal statuses for non-citizens, with wider implications for their position in society. Legal status has become a significant factor in social exclusion and marginality in European societies, intersecting with race, class, gender, and ethnicity to (re)produce social disadvantages. At the same time, migrants' struggles are situated along the same historical continuum as other previously excluded and marginalised groups, revealing inherent contradictions related to citizenship in modern nation-states and challenging the boundaries of citizenship from the inside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study attempted to construct a finance AI technology phylogenetic tree that represents the evolutionary pattern of finance AI technology and quantitatively measures the level of ethical attributes in the tree's technological topics. Based on the tree, it was confirmed that the finance AI technology field is evolving in the direction of three research topics in 2021: deep learning, machine learning, and decision-making technology. Through NLP methodology, we proposed a model to measure the extent to which fairness, human right and normality, transparency and accountability, privacy and security, explainability, and performance guarantees are discussed among these topics. Results confirmed that explainability and performance guarantees were mostly discussed in the case of deep learning technology, privacy and security in the case of machine learning technology, and human rights and normality in the case of decision-making technology. Additionally, it was confirmed that the discussion on fairness in the overall finance AI technology field was low, suggesting that this discussion should be supplemented. The model presented in this study makes an important contribution in that it is capable of detecting the evolutionary direction of AI technology and quantitatively analysing their ethical attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the impact of sustainability-oriented governance factors on companies reporting on due diligence requirements of conflict minerals (DDRCM). We use the rating scores that are assigned by the Responsible Sourcing Network (RSN) on a sample of multinational companies between 2015 and 2019. We consider whether the existence and type of an independent external audit, the existence of sustainability reports to communicate a firm's message, the inclusion of sustainability-related targets in executive compensation contracts, and the existence of board-level sustainability committees are associated with DDRCM reporting. We find that the combined effect of sustainability-oriented governance factors is associated with higher DDRCM reporting suggesting that sustainability governance plays an effective role in shaping the corporate response to conflict mineral risks. We also find that effective boards moderate the association between sustainability governance and DDRCM reporting suggesting that effective boards can substitute for the resources that are required for sustainability governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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While far from ideal, civil-military relations in Mexico in the second half of the twentieth century stood apart from the Latin American trend towards military government and dictatorship. Over the course of the last three decades, however, drug-trafficking, organised crime and high levels of violence and insecurity have deeply transformed this historical pattern with Mexico experiencing a clearcut process of militarization and becoming part of a broad Latin American trend. This article investigates the forces behind and the features of the remarkable political and ideological turnaround with respect to Mexico's military and militarization. To provide proper context, it first examines the evolution of civil-military relations in Mexico during the era of PRI dominance (ca. 1945-ca. 1985) and the subsequent challenges of a democratic recasting of civil-military relations. It then studies how from the 1990s onwards drug trafficking (and its mutation into organised crime) and an escalating security crisis affected civil-military relations. The last section critically examines the unprecedented promotion of military roles and prerogatives during the administration of President Andrés Manuel López Obrador (2018-2024). The conclusion argues that the shifting relations between civilians and soldiers in Mexico are likely to weaken civilian control over the military and hence risk democratic backsliding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the political landscape of Latin American and the Caribbean region is changing, intelligence democratization remains a constant challenge. The majority of the countries in the region have not achieved a tradeoff between operational effectiveness and democratic transparency and accountability. Militarism and militarization policies and practices—along with weak and ineffective institutions and corrupt, apathetic, and inexpert leaders—greatly contribute to this constant challenge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Medical treatments that aim to modify the appearance of the genitals in children who are born with a difference of sex development/intersex (DSD/I*) condition are highly controversial. Human Rights bodies worldwide have argued that such treatments are conflicting with the child's right of personal autonomy and should be legally restricted to the unique situation where the child's physical health is in danger. Design: We here review the current status of legal initiatives in Europe that have addressed the issue of medical treatments in minors who have a DSD for which they have not been able to give personal informed consent due to their young age. Patients: The management of a 3 years old child who has congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and grows up with atypical‐looking genitals is discussed. Results: In spite of extensive psychosocial support to the child and family from birth onwards, and good medical control of CAH, the child develops signs of emotional distress, suspected to be attributable to the genital difference. Our discussions include perspectives from the multidisciplinary DSD team caring for the child, a human rights specialist, and an intersex activist. From our discussions, we conclude that with evolving medical care, new ethical and human rights challenges are raised. A truly holistic human rights approach should not only consider physical but also mental health and psychosocial and psychosexual adaptation of the child to the medical condition, when reflecting on the acceptability of medical treatments in minors for which no personal informed consent can be obtained due to their young age. In addition it is paramount to include the meaningful participation of the child in the clinical management at the earliest possible stage. Conclusions: Continued convergence of clinical management and the human rights framework can be realised based on constructive discussions involving all stakeholders, and with the best interest of the child – and adult that they will become ‐ as a common goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article underlines the need to pay attention to institutional design in the analysis of China's stated aim of leading the reform of global governance. The argument made here is that institutional choice and institutional design matter in relation to the larger question of how Chinese objectives are translated into its desired outcomes. The process of translation is hindered or enabled not solely by the embeddedness of normative ideas but also by design features such as membership criteria, informal or formal voting and procedural rules, the relative power and status of various institutions, together with the relative power of China within these institutions. The ways in which institutional design affects what China is actually able to achieve is shown in reference to two UN-related and one Beijing-initiated international organization that deal with human rights, an issue area where China's determination to effect reform or revision is largely agreed to be significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The EU's Artificial Intelligence Act (AIA) introduces necessary deepfake regulations. However, these could infringe on the rights of AI providers and deployers or users, potentially conflicting with privacy and free expression under Articles 8 and 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, and the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). This paper critically examines how an unmodified AIA could enable voter manipulation, blackmail, and the generation of sexual abusive content, facilitating misinformation and potentially harming millions, both emotionally and financially. Through analysis of the AIA's provisions, GDPR's regulations, relevant case law, and academic literature, the paper identifies risks for both AI providers and users. While the AIA's yearly review cycle is important, the immediacy of these threats demands swifter action. This paper proposes two key amendments: 1) mandate structured synthetic data for deepfake detection, and 2) classify AI intended for malicious deepfakes as 'high-risk'. These amendments, alongside clear definitions and robust safeguards would ensure effective deepfake regulation while protecting fundamental rights. The paper urges policymakers to adopt these amendments during the next review cycle to protect democracy, individual safety, and children. Only then will the AIA fully achieve its aims while safeguarding the freedoms it seeks to uphold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Managerial ethical principles and behaviours guide the roles, duties, responsibilities, behaviours, and relationships of nurse managers in healthcare institutions. Research objectives: The aim of this study was to establish the managerial ethical principles and behaviours for nurse managers. Research question: What are the managerial ethical principles and behaviours for nurse managers? Research design: The Delphi method, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in this study. The Delphi process consisted of two rounds. Data were collected by e-Delphi technique. Participations: 42 experts were included in the first Delphi round and 39 in the second Delphi round. These experts consisted of nurse managers, academicians studying in the field of ethics and nursing management. Ethical considerations: Participation in the study was voluntary and informed consent of the experts was obtained before the study. Approval was obtained from the ethics committee of the university at which the researcher worked (Approval date: 24.07.2020, Decision No: 2020/12-16). Findings: At the end of the Delphi rounds, eight managerial ethical principles and 29 ethical behaviours of these principles were identified. The distribution of these behaviours and principles were: justice (six behaviours), equality (two behaviours), honesty (two behaviours), fairness (two behaviours), responsibility (eight behaviours), confidentiality (two behaviours), clarity (two behaviours), and humanity (five behaviours). Conclusion: These managerial ethical principles and behaviours are intended to guide nurse managers when providing nursing services but should be updated accordingly in line with changing conditions and developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines Japan's age of consent law by delving into court judgements, focusing on unravelling the nuances of how the sexual autonomy of children is interpreted. The study reveals a contradictory stance of the court towards child victim's maturity and capacity, indicating that the legal discourse around a child's autonomy is easily manipulated and framed. It further exposes the susceptibility of children's sexual autonomy to the structural moral values associated with patriarchal gender relations and age. By shaping the contours of consent, law draws a line—delineating punishable acts from consensual sexual activity. While the legal reforms aimed at stricter regulations surrounding child sexual abuse, including raising the age of consent, are narrowing the space for recognizing adolescents' sexual autonomy, this article contends that reforming age consent laws must strike a delicate balance between preventing potential harms and avoiding undue interference with adolescents' sexual autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses children's rights as social semantics, approaching them as a form of self‐description of a paradoxical relationship that has emerged from the late twentieth century within several social systems, a relationship between generational order and children's position as holders of human rights. Charles Taylor's theory on the evolution of the semantics of human value is combined with a wide interdisciplinary array of contributions from Childhood Studies, Social Work, Pedagogy, Studies on Constitutionalism to propose an innovative social ontology of children's rights. Although the UNCRC has been the object of critical scrutiny since the early 1990s, the authors are not aware of any previous attempt to approach children's rights as social semantics in an attempt to illuminate the dynamic and paradoxical coupling within discourses on childhood between a fundamental social process, the reproduction of generational order and a fundamental social institution, human rights as codified in western modernity. The authors argue that while describing a paradoxical coexistence between intergenerational order and human rights, the semantics of children's rights maintains its unity as a cultural form because another semantic distinction, between human rights and personal rights continue to generate social meaning. It is hoped that the scholarly debate will benefit from the contribution of this article to enrich the debate around the social ontology of childhood and children's rights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much of the research on children's right to participation has focused on formal settings, with less attention given to everyday contexts. The current study explores the scope of children's participation in everyday life in the family, school and community. Based on a sample of 46 000 children from 32 countries, children's participation was found to vary across the different contexts. Moreover, the quality of the children's relationships with adults was found to be positively related to the degree of their participation. Finally, some cross‐national differences were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Republic of Korea (ROK) lobbying in the United States during the 1970s, which blew up into the Koreagate scandal, is a widely known but understudied episode in US-ROK relations. Utilizing declassified documents from the ROK Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this article argues President Park Chung Hee was pressured by Congressional condemnation of his human rights abuses and he sought to tame criticism through lobbying. To this end, ROK diplomats actively lobbied Congress in an attempt to guide the narrative of human rights hearings, temper legislation to cut military aid and force withdrawal of US troops from Korea, and silence critics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we develop a model for child participation in child welfare services (CPC). Child participation has gained increasing attention in research, policy and practice in the last couple of decades. Two perspectives have concurrently moved this agenda forward—childhood sociology and children's rights—leading to an almost irrefutable understanding of children as social actors with independent rights. We integrate these perspectives in one model in our CPC model. We base the model on the rights‐based Lundy model of child participation and develop it with theoretical insights from childhood sociology and social work as well as empirical insights from the literature on CPC. To capture the specific conditions of child welfare services and the social world of the child, we add contexts as a new overarching element in our CPC model. We also expand the four elements in the original Lundy model to include time and space, voices, direct and indirect audiences and influence and statutory power. The CPC model is designed to conceptualize how child participation unfolds as both a right of the child a social practice within the specific setting of child welfare services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies suggest a widespread notion among social workers that children should be involved in child protection processes. Nevertheless, children are found to be unsatisfied with the degree to which they feel involved and heard in those processes. This study explored social workers' reasons to exclude children from conversations about contact visits. It applied a social constructivist approach, in which the dominant understandings of children—'child constructions'—in the social workers' responses were identified and then used to discuss the concepts of 'participation' and 'conversation'. Findings reveal that social workers' reasons to exclude children from conversations about contact visits align with prevailing notions of children as rights holders, as vulnerable and as mentally immature. This study suggests that broadening the concept of conversations could provide social workers with the latitude to explore innovative approaches to conversing with children. Furthermore, conversations about contact visits should be performed to be as a tool that empowers children to influence and make meaning of their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars and advocates are at odds about how to achieve higher levels of child safety and permanency. Calls for change include the recent upEND focus on eradication of child welfare services to a radical refocusing of the present system towards prevention/early intervention. To clarify the implications of reform over abolition, we seek to portray a future in which the abolition of child welfare has occurred, in juxtaposition to maintaining four core elements of established child maltreatment programmes around the world: (1) receiving and responding to community signals about the risk to children; (2) assessment of need coupled with a proportionate response; (3) rights protections to ensure fairness when placement outside the family is required; and (4) procedures for accountability and quality improvement. For each of these functions, we outline abolitionist advocates' positions and implications for children and parents. Across these elements, we delineate how assigning these responsibilities to communities, as suggested by upEND, would likely (1) exaggerate racial and economic inequities and (2) create structural barriers that would increase harm to children. We suggest several evidence‐informed enhancements to practice, research and policy that would mitigate these inequities while also increasing safety and permanency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses evidence regarding both the decriminalization of sex work or consenting adults who are buying or selling sex are not committing a crime, and the legalization of sex work, which creates an affirmative regulatory scheme that creates rules governing the sale of sex between consenting adults. Topics include global context of sex work criminalization, violence, and HIV; violence as a key driver of HIV infection; and criminalization of sex work in the U.S.

Purpose: The impact of extreme heat on prisons and carceral facilities is becoming increasingly visible, yet remains overlooked by scholars, practitioners and policymakers. Prisons are a unique type of infrastructure designed to severely limit and control the movement of hundreds and even thousands of individuals as a form of punishment. This leads to many significant challenges to mitigating the risk of heat-related illness in prisons and other carceral spaces that have remained overlooked across many disciplines including emergency management, disasters, corrections and public health. Design/methodology/approach: For this study, we analyzed 192 surveys from incarcerated persons in state prisons throughout Texas to understand how incarceration and the punitive prison environment create challenges to managing extreme heat in prisons. Findings: We found that characteristics of modern incarceration, including communal distribution of resources, crowded conditions and a lack of agency for incarcerated people, create barriers to accessing resources during periods of extreme heat. Furthermore, the punitive nature of the prison environment as manifested in the relationship between staff and incarcerated persons and certain prison policies also create barriers to incarcerated persons accessing resources to reduce their risk of heat-related illness and death. Social implications: These issues are particularly relevant to the health and safety of incarcerated persons during periods of extreme temperatures but also speak broadly to the implications of incarceration, disaster risk, and the advancement of human rights for incarcerated people. Originality/value: This article addresses a gap in the literature by including the perspectives of persons incarcerated in Texas prisons experiencing extreme heat and implicates the characteristics of incarceration and punishment in the production of disaster risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]