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…
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.
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
Actually, drones worry Europe more than spying
It is not data protection and surveillance that produces the most complications for the transatlantic intelligence relationship, but rather America's use of armed drones to kill terrorist suspects.
Repression and violence after the coup in Egypt
Europe should remember that the elements in Egypt that are now likely to be on top of the political system – the Army, the judiciary, the intelligence services – represent a completely unreformed inheritance from the “deep state” as it existed under Mubarak.
Drones and targeted killing: defining a European position
What Europe needs to do
The struggle for pluralism after the North African revolutions
What next for Egypt, Tunisia and Libya?
A Power Audit of EU – North Africa relations
North Africa should be a top strategic priority for Europe
Assessing the EU’s new human rights strategy
This week the EU revealed its new human rights strategy, an ambitious plan to 'place human rights at the centre of its relations with all third countries'. The key challenge will be to develop realistic objectives and a clear vision how to achieve them without repeating mistakes of the past.
Obama’s Drone Attacks: How the EU Should Respond
Despite President Obama extending its use of drone strikes in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia, the EU has been largely silent on the issue. But European leaders need to press the US to establish credible international standards to govern their use.
Publications
After the rupture: Middle powers and the construction of new order
As American leadership wanes, middle powers are stitching a patchwork order through new approaches to conflict mediation, connectivity and development. Although these formats are fragmented and opportunistic, Europe should engage with them pragmatically
The power of the possible: A step-by-step approach to strengthen human rights in the Middle East
European credibility to uphold human rights in the Middle East has faded, but the EU can still have an impact by backing social and economic rights, empowering people through reform
Value for money: Why and how Europeans should support the failing economies of Egypt and Tunisia
Severe weaknesses in the Egyptian and Tunisian economies provoke recurrent crises. There is a better way for Europeans to support Cairo and Tunis
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
Articles
War over law: Europe’s unforced errors over the use of force in Iran
Some European leaders’ comments are going even further than overlooking the unlawful nature of the war—and could open the door to a further weakening of the non-aggression principle
Multilateralism with less America: Trump’s plan for international organisations
The Trump administration has made clear its distain for the multilateral system. As it reviews US participation, Europeans are faced with a tricky balance of selectively embracing these reforms while filling the America-sized hole
Developing development: Six ways to rethink European foreign aid
Global commitment to development assistance is far from where it was a decade ago. Off the back of the International Conference on Financing for Development, European policymakers should look towards adapting their approach to this new reality
The International Criminal Court and Netanyahu: A test for European principles
The International Criminal Court has issued a historic arrest warrant for Israel’s prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu. European governments must defend the court’s independence and uphold international law
Victory foretold: How Europeans should respond to Tunisia’s unfair presidential election
Tunisia’s authoritarian president is not as secure as he seems. European leaders should refrain from rushing to congratulate his inevitable, imminent re-election
Future imperfect: The lessons the EU should draw from the UN Summit of the Future
This weekend’s UN Summit of the Future shows that while countries are at odds, most are still looking for ways to work together. Even if the summit won’t achieve dramatic progress, it should spur Europe to forge new partnerships with the global south
Why Europeans should support the International Criminal Court over the Gaza war
The International Criminal Court is likely to approve arrest warrants for leaders of both Hamas and Israel. European countries should ensure they do not undermine the process and explore ways it could help promote an end to the conflict
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
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
What does the election of a hardliner ultraconservative as president mean for Iran?
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…
Events
21
Apr
RSVP
European Power
From rupture to re-ordering: Middle powers and Europe’s choices
The international system is no longer held together by a single dominant vision of order. While the US is retreating from its dominant role, China and Russia are advancing competing models of order. In this context, middle powers are actively pursuing new strategies to secure their autonomy and expand their influence. They are challenging established hierarchies, reshaping economic and connectivity networks, and building alternative forms of cooperation that do…
7
Oct
European Power
The impact of Big Tech on democracies
Over the past decades, poorly regulated technology has become a forceful instrument for autocrats around the world, also impacting democracies and citizens, as seen in the UK during the recent riots. What practical policies can governments implement to better control tech giants? Where can the EU and the UK join forces? This is a closed-door…
European Power
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 policies on multilateral development cooperation. They face an interlocking series of crises that demand a coordinated response, yet the international system is increasingly affected by geopolitical competition. European policymakers are…
European Power
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
European Power
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
Anthony Dworkin on Britain’s decision to allow the US to use bases amidst war on Iran
Anthony Dworkin on the European silence on US-Iran tensions
Anthony Dworkin on the Morocco-Algeria rivalry
Anthony Dworkin on the €75 million in aid from the European Union to Egypt
Anthony Dworkin on the EU-Egypt Summit