Enforced Disappearance and Arbitrary Detention

This innovative deeply researched book, critically examines the failures of international law in addressing severe human rights violations, particularly enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions. This book argues that international law in a variety of areas, is ineffective and in need of reform. Through the lens of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions in international law, the book explores the weaknesses of the state-centric human rights system, emphasizing that states—often the primary violators—are responsible for ensuring compliance and enforcement. The book first examines the recent scourge of enforced disappearances and arbitrary detentions in a number of states, particularly those that have occurred transnationally. Through a detailed analysis of comparative state practice, including rising rates of transnational repression, the book highlights systemic deficiencies and later proposes various reforms to strengthen global human rights protection. The book advocates for an integrated approach, merging international humanitarian law, human rights law, and international criminal law to enhance enforcement and accountability. The book reviews why using an integrated approach to tackling violations will result in far better protections, arguing that abandoning a silo approach to international law and applying international human rights law and international humanitarian law together, especially in the context of international criminal law, will yield far better results. How greater integration can be achieved in theory, is examined. Also reviewed, are how international bodies that work on arbitrary detentions and enforced disappearances, do so in practice. The key challenge that is taken up is how international law can be improved to ensure that the worst violators can be made to comply with international law. For that reason, a series of recommendations are made in the conclusion about what can be done to remedy the deficiencies noted throughout the book. The book argues that much needs to be done to reform international law as well as the processes and mechanisms that provide oversight and accountability.