Refugee Protection as Human Rights Protection: International Principles and Practice in India

This article focuses on the relationship between international human rights standards and refugee protection. The foundational status of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other human rights treaties are surveyed in light of India's international legal obligations. The authors argue that international human rights law and practice have had a significant impact on the protection activities of the Ofice of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) both in countries of asylum, countries of origin and in relation to the United Nations and other human rights actors. In this context, courts and national human rights institutions are important players in safeguarding the rights of refugees. As none of the countries of South Asia is party to the international refugee instruments nor have any of them adopted a national refugee law or procedure, the activities of the Indian National Human Rights Commission stand out as a positive example of national institution expanding the legal protection of refugees in the region.Cet article porte sur la relation entre critères internationaux en matière de droits humains et protection des réfugiés. Les statuts fondateurs de la Déclaration Universelle des droits de l'Homme et d'autres traités sur les droits humains sont analysés à la lumière des obligations juridiques internationales de l'Inde. Les auteurs développent une argumentation selon laquelle les lois et pratiques internationales en matière de droits humains ont un impact significatif sur les activités de protection assurées par l'Office du Haut Commissariat des Nations Unies aux réfugiés, autant dans les pays asiles, que dans les pays d'origine, et ce dans toute interaction entre les Nations Unies et les autres intervenants en matière de droits humains. Dans un tel contexte, les tribunaux et les institutions nationales traitant des droits humains sont des acteurs cruciaux en ce qui concerne la protection des droits des réfugiés. Comme aucun des pays d'Asie du Sud n'est engagé dans les grands mécanismes internationaux en matière de droit des réfugiés, et comme aucun d'entre eux n'a adopté de loi ou procédure nationale en matière de droit des réfugiés, les activités de la Commission Nationale Indienne des droits de l'Homme s'avèrent représenter un exemple positif d'institution nationale assurant le progrès de la protection légale des réfugiés dans cette région du monde

Detection of circulating tumour DNA is associated with inferior outcomes in Ewing sarcoma and osteosarcoma: a report from the Children's Oncology Group.

BackgroundNew prognostic markers are needed to identify patients with Ewing sarcoma (EWS) and osteosarcoma unlikely to benefit from standard therapy. We describe the incidence and association with outcome of circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) using next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays.MethodsA NGS hybrid capture assay and an ultra-low-pass whole-genome sequencing assay were used to detect ctDNA in banked plasma from patients with EWS and osteosarcoma, respectively. Patients were coded as positive or negative for ctDNA and tested for association with clinical features and outcome.ResultsThe analytic cohort included 94 patients with EWS (82% from initial diagnosis) and 72 patients with primary localised osteosarcoma (100% from initial diagnosis). ctDNA was detectable in 53% and 57% of newly diagnosed patients with EWS and osteosarcoma, respectively. Among patients with newly diagnosed localised EWS, detectable ctDNA was associated with inferior 3-year event-free survival (48.6% vs. 82.1%; p = 0.006) and overall survival (79.8% vs. 92.6%; p = 0.01). In both EWS and osteosarcoma, risk of event and death increased with ctDNA levels.ConclusionsNGS assays agnostic of primary tumour sequencing results detect ctDNA in half of the plasma samples from patients with newly diagnosed EWS and osteosarcoma. Detectable ctDNA is associated with inferior outcomes

An international working group consensus report for the prioritization of molecular biomarkers for Ewing sarcoma

The advent of dose intensified interval compressed therapy has improved event-free survival for patients with localized Ewing sarcoma (EwS) to 78% at 5 years. However, nearly a quarter of patients with localized tumors and 60-80% of patients with metastatic tumors suffer relapse and die of disease. In addition, those who survive are often left with debilitating late effects. Clinical features aside from stage have proven inadequate to meaningfully classify patients for risk-stratified therapy. Therefore, there is a critical need to develop approaches to risk stratify patients with EwS based on molecular features. Over the past decade, new technology has enabled the study of multiple molecular biomarkers in EwS. Preliminary evidence requiring validation supports copy number changes, and loss of function mutations in tumor suppressor genes as biomarkers of outcome in EwS. Initial studies of circulating tumor DNA demonstrated that diagnostic ctDNA burden and ctDNA clearance during induction are also associated with outcome. In addition, fusion partner should be a pre-requisite for enrollment on EwS clinical trials, and the fusion type and structure require further study to determine prognostic impact. These emerging biomarkers represent a new horizon in our understanding of disease risk and will enable future efforts to develop risk-adapted treatment

Detectable clonal mosaicism and its relationship to aging and cancer

In an analysis of 31,717 cancer cases and 26,136 cancer-free controls from 13 genome-wide association studies, we observed large chromosomal abnormalities in a subset of clones in DNA obtained from blood or buccal samples. We observed mosaic abnormalities, either aneuploidy or copy-neutral loss of heterozygosity, of >2 Mb in size in autosomes of 517 individuals (0.89%), with abnormal cell proportions of between 7% and 95%. In cancer-free individuals, frequency increased with age, from 0.23% under 50 years to 1.91% between 75 and 79 years (P = 4.8 × 10(-8)). Mosaic abnormalities were more frequent in individuals with solid tumors (0.97% versus 0.74% in cancer-free individuals; odds ratio (OR) = 1.25; P = 0.016), with stronger association with cases who had DNA collected before diagnosis or treatment (OR = 1.45; P = 0.0005). Detectable mosaicism was also more common in individuals for whom DNA was collected at least 1 year before diagnosis with leukemia compared to cancer-free individuals (OR = 35.4; P = 3.8 × 10(-11)). These findings underscore the time-dependent nature of somatic events in the etiology of cancer and potentially other late-onset diseases

State Interests and the Global Response to Forced Displacement: How Can We Move Forward?

This book chapter is published under a CC BY-NC-ND Creative Commons licence and is availble at https://doi.org/10.4324/9781032699028-27.This chapter is a reflection on the state of the world with a focus on how the global political economy, conflict, violations of human rights, and climate change continue to challenge the international community in how we respond to people forced to flee. While a brief chapter cannot address all the factors that have gotten us to where we currently are, it is a modest attempt to identify key elements that can help us move towards a more equitable, just and predictable system to support the forcibly displaced. In addition to reviewing global political realities and challenges that impact UN institution and state behaviour, the paper provides several pathways, including expanding the application of human rights standards; the urgent need for UN Security Council reform; diversifying UN leadership and staffing; consolidating refugee participation and representation; and developing the law, policy and practice on reparations and accountability

Shifting Priorities, Attitudes, and Institutional Change: Reflections on UNHCR at the Crossroads

The international debate on refugee issues is in flux and has been influenced by a number of factors including post–cold war disinterest in refugees, the media, extraordinary humanitarian crises, and shifting attitudes among policy makers and the public. Over the last decade in particular, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has been given the task of providing protection and relief in large-scale humanitarian operations, some of which are unprecedented in size, level of conflict, and categories of persons provided assistance. In the new millennium and under new leadership, will UNHCR get back to “the basics of protection,” or will it continue to be asked to respond to humanitarian crises in the absence of other action by the international community? These are serious policy questions facing the Office.Le débat international sur les questions touchant aux réfugiés est en état d’effervescence. Il a été influencé par un certain nombre de facteurs dont : le manque d’intérêt général, dans la période suivant la fin de la guerre froide, pour des questions concernant les réfugiés, le rôle joué par les médias, les crises humanitaires qui ont pris des proportions extraordinaires et les attitudes qui ont changé tant chez les dirigeants politiques que parmi le grand public. Au cours de la dernière décennie en particulier, le Haut Commissariat s’est vu sollicité pour fournir aide et protection dans des opérations humanitaires de grande ampleur, certains desquelles n’avaient pas de pareil en terme d’envergure, niveau du conflit et catégories de personnes qui ont reçu de l’aide. Au début d’un millénaire et sous une nouvelle direction, la HCR doit faire face à des d’importantes décisions politiques : Retournera-t-elle à sa mission première qui est de fournir la protection de base aux réfugiés ou, en l’absence d’autres initiatives par la communauté internationale, continuera-t-elle à être sollicitée pour prendre en charge diverses crises humanitaires