Non-Retrogression as Progress
Latin America has often led the way in protecting the right to health, particularly in regulating risk factors such as tobacco and unhealthy diets. However, some of these advancements have recently been jeopardized as governments prioritize private economic interests over health. Judicialization has thus emerged as an opportunity – perhaps the only one – to defend progress achieved. Given recent judicial rulings in Uruguay and Ecuador, we reflect on the fragility of legal interventions that threaten powerful economic interests, as well as on the opportunities offered by human rights-based litigation.
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A Decade of Implementation
Uruguay gained international praise in 2012 when it passed one of the most liberal abortion laws on the continent. While the law undoubtedly represents a step in the right direction, ten years have passed, and the law and its implementation could not live up to the expectations. The Uruguayan abortion law over-medicalizes, paternalizes, and imposes a series of very burdensome requirements on people wishing to access abortion services, in violation of human rights law.
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The Council of Europe Creates a Black Box for AI Policy
The Council of Europe Committee on AI has made a startling decision to carry forward future work on the development of an international convention on AI behind closed doors, despite the Council’s call for the Democratic Governance of Artificial Intelligence in a 2020 resolution. It is a surprising move from an international organization that has been at the forefront of efforts to promote greater transparency and accountability for the technology that is transforming the world.
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