Europe turns to the ICC on Syria – a sign of hopelessness?
The EU's call to refer Syria to the International Criminal Court stands as a reminder of how few options the EU has
Experts & Staff
Anthony Dworkin
Senior Policy Fellow
Areas of expertise
Human rights; democracy; justice; North Africa (especially Egypt and Tunisia); war crimes; drones and counterterrorism; US foreign policy
Languages
English, conversational French
Biography
Anthony Dworkin is senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. He leads the organisation’s work in the areas of human rights, democracy, and justice.
Among other subjects, Dworkin has conducted research and written on European and US frameworks for counterterrorism, the European Union’s human rights strategy, and the pursuit of justice in the international response to mass atrocities. Since 2011, he has also followed political developments in North Africa after the Arab uprisings, with a particular focus on Egypt and Tunisia. Before joining ECFR in 2008, Dworkin was executive director of the Crimes of War Project, an NGO that worked to raise public and media awareness of the laws governing armed conflict. He co-edited the book Crimes of War: What the Public Should Know (2nd ed., 2007) and wrote extensively for the project’s website about war crimes and contemporary conflict, in addition to conducting training sessions on the laws of war and international justice in several countries.
Dworkin has written and spoken widely on questions related to human rights, democracy, and justice. He is a contributing editor for the British magazine Prospect and has written for several other publications, including the Financial Times, The Guardian, the International Herald Tribune, the Washington Post, El País, the New Statesman, the Times Literary Supplement, Foreign Policy, and World Politics Review. He has been a member of the Terrorism/Counterterrorism Advisory Committee and the London Advocacy Advisory Committee of Human Rights Watch. Dworkin has also worked as a producer and reporter for BBC Current Affairs.
Egypt’s military & Europe’s response
Issandr el Amrani, Florence Gaub, and Anthony Dworkin take a close look at the situation in Egypt, the motivation and interests of the military,…
ECFR’s World in 30 minutes: The Arab spring – three years on
Mark Leonard hosts a discussion with Daniel Levy, Anthony Dworkin, and Julien Barnes-Dacey on the Arab Spring and current events in the Middle East…
A new constitution will not solve Egypt’s problems
Next week Egyptians will vote in a referendum on a new constitution. Few people doubt that the constitution will be approved, but there is more at stake in the vote than merely adopting a new legal framework for the country.
Egypt’s unsustainable crackdown
Why the EU needs to develop a new policy towards Egypt
International justice and the prevention of atrocities
What place should the international community give to justice and accountability in its response to conflicts involving mass atrocities? A new ECFR project analyses a series of cases where international efforts to end conflict have taken different approaches to justice
What we are reading – ECFR’s Book Club
ECFR experts discuss interesting and thought-provoking books and articles: Financialisation – The Economics of Finance Capital Domination by Thomas I. Palley, Cypherpunks…
Anthony Dworkin on striking Syria
Anthony Dworkin and Nicholas Walton discuss some of the aspects of the potential US-led strikes on Syria, from their goal to the implications for…
Eight things to consider before intervening in Syria
Before any Western intervention in the Syrian conflict, eight key issues need to be considered – from the goals of intervention and the legal issue to the regional impact and the possibility of a diplomatic alternative
Europe must recognise that Egypt is not moving to democracy
As Egypt appears to lurch back towards a pre-revolutionary security state, there's an urgent need for the EU to make a firm statement that the country is no longer moving towards a democratic future
Publications
The Maghreb maze: Harmonising divergent European policies in North Africa
The Maghreb policies of the four most influential EU member states are diverging – but this fragmentation hinders the EU’s long-term interests in the region
Multilateral development in flux: Strengthening European cooperation with the global south
European countries are rethinking their policies on multilateral development. In the face of intersecting crises, they should embrace a new, far-sighted vision for development cooperation.
We’ll always have Paris: How to adapt multilateral climate cooperation to new realities
Geopolitical tensions are hindering progress in multilateral climate cooperation. The EU should continue to supplement negotiations under the UN climate convention with smaller initiatives that bring together like-minded, ambitious partners.
Clear and president danger: Democracy and the constitution in Tunisia
Tunisia’s new constitution would create an unaccountable presidency. European policymakers should state that it is not genuinely democratic, while continuing to support the country economically.
North African standoff: How the Western Sahara conflict is fuelling new tensions between Morocco and Algeria
Europeans should pay closer attention to rising tensions between Morocco and Algeria. A more balanced European approach to both countries could help stave off instability in north-west Africa and the Mediterranean.
Health of nations: How Europe can fight future pandemics
The EU should promote a new global compact on health, matching countries’ commitment to surveillance and reporting of pathogens with support for stronger healthcare systems and greater equity in the allocation of countermeasures
Built to order: How Europe can rebuild multilateralism after covid-19
The covid-19 pandemic has brought forward a new agenda for multilateralism, focused on areas including global health, economic recovery, climate, technology, and trade
Promoting European strategic sovereignty in the southern neighbourhood
To achieve greater sovereignty, Europe needs to push back against rival powers, build leverage in armed conflicts, and be more effective in supporting reform
A new transatlantic bargain: An action plan for transformation, not restoration
The Trump years galvanised Europeans’ efforts to strengthen their own sovereignty; they now need to agree concrete offers they can make to the new administration
A return to Africa: Why North African states are looking south
North African countries, each for their own reasons, are increasingly turning their attention towards sub-Saharan Africa
Articles
Aid with reform: How the EU-Egypt deal can succeed
The EU should release funding to Cairo only if it undertakes following meaningful economic reforms
Court order: Why Europeans should support the ICJ’s decision on South Africa’s genocide case against Israel
Despite their disagreements over the case, it is crucial that European countries support the implementation of the ICJ’s provisional measures
Israel, Hamas, and the laws of war
European leaders agree that Israel has the right to defend itself as long as it complies with international law. It is time that they recognise the limits those laws set
Shapes of Multilateralisms Collection
This collection of nine insightful essays illuminates the strategies employed to advance European interests and values within this evolving global polity of overlapping cooperative frameworks
Multilateral health: Developing a habit of pandemic preparedness
A lack of coordination among the world’s states hindered the global response to covid-19. The same problem is now disrupting international efforts to put in place a more effective system to prepare for future pandemics
Saied’s crackdown: How the EU can stand up for human rights in Tunisia
The EU has invested heavily in Tunisia’s transition to democracy since 2011. Now it must stand up for the rule of law and for the rights of those under threat
Aggression on trial: The tricky path towards prosecuting Russian war leaders
A UN-backed court could reinforce condemnation of Russia’s aggressive war and reduce Putin’s legitimacy on the international stage. But its establishment and success will depend on the commitment it receives
Laws against slaughter: The crimes that shape Russia’s war on Ukraine
Widespread violations of international humanitarian law appear to be part of the Russian way of war. The international response to such crimes could have severe geopolitical consequences for Russia.
The battle for Tunisia’s democracy
Tunisia’s president seems unwilling to compromise with his political opponents. But the EU can help set limits on his behaviour through a combination of financial assistance and public statements.
International law and the invasion of Ukraine
Countries that have condemned Russia’s actions are not only trying to protect Ukraine and its citizens, but also defending the principle that relationships between states should be shaped by legal principles
Specials
European Sovereignty Index
The EU can overcome the new challenges it faces and can shape the global order. To achieve this, Europeans will need to improve their joint capacity to act.
Mapping European leverage in the MENA region
Turmoil in the Middle East and north Africa directly affects Europeans. Yet their influence in the region has never been weaker. This project maps Europe’s role across the Middle East and north Africa, making the case that Europeans can do more to leverage their influence in pursuit of core interests
Podcasts
The role of international law and justice in a fragmented world
Mark Leonard welcomes Anthony Dworkin to discuss the role of international law and justice in an increasingly fragmented world
Health of Nations: How Europe can fight future pandemics
This week, ECFR senior policy fellow, Susi Dennison, takes over the podcast to talk about international cooperation on global health
The election of President Ebrahim Raisi and the future of Iran
Does the election of Raisi represent a significant change of direction following the term of President Rouhani?
What future for the transatlantic alliance?
How well does the transatlantic alliance still fit with the way that Europe and the United States now see their goals in foreign policy?
Multilateralism after covid-19
How can Europe adapt its strategies for multilateralism in this competitive world and what would they look like?
The geopolitics of a covid-19 vaccine
How do we go forward with the global distribution of covid-19 vaccines and what kind of geopolitical implications do surround this endeavour?
Europe’s role in global health & how to build European health sovereignty
“If it’s about Europe´s role in global health, a big part of it is Europe's health sovereignty which we want to make one of the…
An energizing side-effect? How covid-19 could revive multilateralism
Recently, we have seen funding cuts to the WHO in the middle of the coronavirus crisis and national governments closing borders instead of calling for…
App-solutely necessary? Technology as a way out of the coronavirus crisis
Word on the street seems to suggest that technology will be the way out of the coronavirus crisis and the lockdowns in many European countries. This…
The Berlin Libya Conference: a moment to shine for European foreign policy?
Anthony Dworkin stands in for our usual host, Mark Leonard, to de-brief the Berlin Conference on Libya. Together with the ECFR’s experts Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Tarek…
Events
29 Nov
Multilateral development cooperation in a competitive world
Please register for our online discussion on “Multilateral development cooperation in a competitive world” on Wednesday 29th November at 14.00-15.00 CET. European countries are rethinking their…
31 Oct
A new climate for peace? How Europe can reconcile energy and climate security
Cinzia Bianco, Mats Engström and Anthony Dworkin were in conversation with Susi Dennison to hear how Europe can best meet its energy security interests all the while preserving its credibility as a climate superpower
19 May
After the pandemic: Health security and multilateralism at work
The covid-19 pandemic has created a new sense of urgency behind the need for multilateral action
In the media
Doing these reforms in a meaningful way would require the Egyptian government to make a big change in the economic policies it has followed so far
Anthony Dworkin on the European Union’s recent aid package to Egypt
The human rights situation in Egypt remains problematic and worrying
Anthony Dworkin on the EU agreement with Egypt
Anthony Dworkin comments on the European Union and its new deal with Egypt
Anthony Dworkin on the ICJ’s case against Russia
Anthony Dworkin on a The Hague court wanting to probe war crimes in Israel and Gaza