Abstract
In this June issue, the Board of the Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights is proud to present a brief overview of the journal’s key performance from January 2018 to December 2018. Over the course of 2018, we have received 62 original manuscripts, of which 12 have been published as articles in the Quarterly’s four issues. As such, the Netherlands Quarterly has a publication rate of only 19 percent.
For the second year in a row, the column ‘“Fake News” False Fears or Real Concerns’, as written by Tarlach McGonagle, and the article by Janneke Gerards and Lize Glas entitled ‘Access to Justice in the European Convention on Human Rights System’ were the two most downloaded contributions of 2018. Of the 2018 issues, the article ‘Winning at the World Cup: A Matter of Protecting Human Rights and Sharing Responsibilities’ was downloaded over 700 times, making it the most downloaded contribution of 2018.
The present issue is yet again a display of similarly high quality and topical articles. This issue’s column addresses the ‘human rights turn’ in the much debated Dutch climate case Urgenda. The four articles discuss a variety of human rights topics that range from the application of the procedural limb of Article 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights to military operations conducted by its Member States to the significance of the Joint Declarations on freedom of expression. Similarly, in this issue, the conjunction between human rights and the list of ‘essential medicines’ as compiled by the World Health Organization is explored and a new solution is offered in respect of inconsistencies in the case law of the European Court of Human Rights on immigration cases.
The publication of these articles could not have been possible without the international Editorial Board and other expert reviewers, who have carefully and critically reviewed selected submissions. Their involvement with the NQHR is indispensable and we would like to extend our heartfelt appreciation for their work. We would similarly like to acknowledge the work of the NQHR’s executive assistants, whose editorial work helps guarantee the high-standard of our articles. In addition, we would like to extend our thanks to the Utrecht University Library for providing the section on recent publications on human rights around the world. The Executive Board would also like to thank SAGE whose continued and valuable support helps ensures the smooth functioning of our journal. Last, but certainly not least, we would like to express our sincere thanks to the NQHR readership; you are the cornerstone of our journal, and to all of the authors who have considered the Quarterly for publication of their work.
Finally, the Board would also like to take the opportunity to congratulate its Executive Board Member professor Yvonne Donders on her appointment as member of the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights. The Board also wishes Editor-in-Chief Antoine Buyse a fruitful sabbatical in Australia and extends a warm welcome to Brianne McGonigle Leyh, who will function as interim Editor-in-Chief for the coming months.