Sara Kahn-Nisser
Biographic Data
| ID | 2538925 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Sara Kahn-Nisser |
| GIVEN NAMES | Sara |
| FAMILY NAME | Kahn-Nisser |
| SIGNATURE | KAHN-NISSER S |
| AFFILIATIONS | Open University of Israel |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4043-9929 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 22 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 28 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 22 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2010 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Deflecting criticism
States’ responses to international criticism range from denial and aversion to strategic reinterpretation. One of these responses involves reforming a human rights area that poses a low threat to the incumbent’s survival in power while continuing violations of other rights. In democratically backsliding countries, reform of political rights and freedoms poses an exceptionally high threat to incumbents’ survival in power. This article examines whe…
Experts’ active representation in the UN treaty bodies
Responding to Needs
Refugees’ and migrants’ rights are enshrined in dedicated treaties. Yet other UN TBs (TB) regularly monitor foreigners’ rights. This repetitive use of scarce TBs’ resources could exacerbate monitoring fatigue. Why, then, do TBs do this? This article measures and explains the repetition between TB’s monitoring practices. Utilizing previous research on foreigners’ rights in human rights shaming schemes, it hypothesizes that foreigners’ rights monit…
Pleasing the Buyer
There is a growing amount of evidence suggesting that despite international organizations’ efforts to moderate hierarchical relations, power relations shape their actions and policies. Research shows that international organizations’ human rights promotion actions have not escaped this pattern, and powerful countries can often bias policies in favor of their allies. Less research has examined whether weaker and poorer countries use international …
Introduction to Symposium
Caught in the crossfire
A Voice or an Echo
Does the personal background of women as independent experts in international organizations ( IO s) affect their behavior? By studying the impact of biographies on the behavior of experts in international institutions, we shed light on broader questions of IO performance. We find that, contrary to our expectations, women are more active members than men. We explore this finding in more detail and argue that women’s participation in meetings with …
Friendly advice
This article examines whether the relationship between the members of the United Nations' Treaty Bodies' (TB) home countries and the countries reviewed by these bodies is significant to the amount and style of criticism the reviewed country receives. This article explains why the source–target relationship is significant to shaming. It defines two shaming styles – Socializing shaming and Disciplining shaming and defines elements that enable the i…
Publication of foreigners’ human rights abuses and retaliation between Convention Against Torture (CAT) states
Institutions that monitor violations of human rights, particularly of victims living outside their home countries, will often name the victims’ countries of origin in their reports. This article looks at this understudied practice and argues that it unintentionally creates bilateral retaliation dynamics between the victims’ home country and the country violating the victims’ rights. The article defines retaliation and explains why countries care …
Reciprocating to the bottom
Is reciprocity possible in human rights agreements? This article argues that human rights agreements can create negative diffuse reciprocity if there is reliable information about countries’ compliance levels. The article analyses the link between information on countries’ non-compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the one hand, and countries’ efforts to protect social economic rights on the other. I…
Contextualizing Donors’ Interests
Human rights advocates, particularly intergovernmental organizations (IGO), consider donors’ interests when conducting human rights shaming. Allies of donors receive preferential treatment from IGOs. Do IGOs automatically treat allies of donors more leniently or do they consider the donors’ interests in the specific area being reviewed? This article argues that donor interest considerations are policy‐area‐specific. I substantiate this argument b…
Vicious Cycle
This article explains abuse of foreigners’ rights by identifying an unexplored by-product of human rights shaming—reciprocation. By identifying this phenomenon, the article explains countries’ noncompliance with treaty obligations, focusing in particular on noncompliance with the Convention against Torture's (CAT) provisions on foreign nationals’ rights. States who learn about violations of their citizens’ rights in other ratifying countries viol…
For better or worse
Rulers decide whether to oppress or to comply with HR treaty obligations by considering what compliance entails and by weighing the internal and external costs and benefits of oppression. Research shows that HR shaming alters such considerations and is associated with changes in HR protection levels. Can the same be said of faming? This article examines three forms of HR reporting: faming, which focuses on positive developments; shaming, which fo…
The EU, China, trade dependence and human rights
This article looks at the linkages between export to the European Union (EU), export to china and human rights policies. The article argues that countries that export to the EU at high rates are more likely to converge towards its policies than countries that don't export to the EU. The article also argues that the rise of China as a significant economic actor does not undermine this process. The article tests these arguments by analysing the lin…
Constructive Criticism
Shaming is an increasingly common practice. However, empirical evidence suggest that it does not always induce human rights (HR) reforms, and its effect is conditioned by intervening factors. This article hypothesizes that the combination of shaming and incentives induces policy changes in targeted countries. The hypothesis is tested using newly coded data that include 15 countries from Europe, Asia, and Africa that have been subject to the combi…
Linkage leverage democratization and liberalization
Research on transnational human rights promotion and democratization often assumes that human rights promotion and democratization promotion are the same. But evidences from recent studies give reasons to question this assumption. This article compares the EU’s influence on democratization and human rights reforms in 29 countries in East-Europe West-Asia, the Middle East, and North-Africa. The results indicate that the impact of the EU on human r…
A Matter of Degree
The EU and the ILO have invested large amounts of resources in the past 20 years in promoting core labour standards. This article examines the products on these investments, by analysing the linkage between the protection of collective labour rights, countries’ statuses in the EU, ratification of the ILO’s fundamental conventions and ILO monitoring. The article argues that labour standards were formulated to counteract competitive pressures aggra…
The Ripple Effect
The article analyzes labor standards using a new dataset and finds a peer effect of treaty ratification, and a positive effect of relationship with the EU. The article examines the ILO's and the EU's labor rights promotion activities since the late 1990s. It reviews international causes of changes in countries' labor standards. It draws on literature on the role of global and regional institutions in shaping country level policies and formulates …
Channels of Influence
The hard impact of soft co-ordination
Address for correspondence: Sara Kahn-Nisser, POB 808, Ra'anana, Israel, 4310701. email: [email protected]
Conditionality, Communication and Compliance
This article presents findings of an empirical analysis which show that the level of candidate countries' compliance with the accession conditionality is positively associated with the extent of annual pre‐accession monitoring. Focusing on conditionality and labour rights in 11 post‐communist CEE candidate countries, in the period between 1998 and 2009, the study analyzes the relationship between the extent of annual monitoring and the post‐commu…
Nationalism, Identity, and Rebellion
This article puts forward an in-depth examination of the Wadi Salib events. The recently disclosed proceedings of the Wadi Salib Committee of National Inquiry are interpreted to show how the Oriental Jews (Mizrachim) explained their actions in Zionist terms centered on Jewish kinship. The Western Jews (Ashkenazim) in turn, rejected the Oriental Jews’ sense of alliance and underlined the colonial element of Zionist identity. Identity threat theory…
The hard impact of soft co-ordination
Address for correspondence: Sara Kahn-Nisser, POB 808, Ra'anana, Israel, 4310701. email: [email protected]
Conditionality, Communication and Compliance
This article presents findings of an empirical analysis which show that the level of candidate countries' compliance with the accession conditionality is positively associated with the extent of annual pre‐accession monitoring. Focusing on conditionality and labour rights in 11 post‐communist CEE candidate countries, in the period between 1998 and 2009, the study analyzes the relationship between the extent of annual monitoring and the post‐commu…
For better or worse
Rulers decide whether to oppress or to comply with HR treaty obligations by considering what compliance entails and by weighing the internal and external costs and benefits of oppression. Research shows that HR shaming alters such considerations and is associated with changes in HR protection levels. Can the same be said of faming? This article examines three forms of HR reporting: faming, which focuses on positive developments; shaming, which fo…
Friendly advice
This article examines whether the relationship between the members of the United Nations' Treaty Bodies' (TB) home countries and the countries reviewed by these bodies is significant to the amount and style of criticism the reviewed country receives. This article explains why the source–target relationship is significant to shaming. It defines two shaming styles – Socializing shaming and Disciplining shaming and defines elements that enable the i…
Vicious Cycle
This article explains abuse of foreigners’ rights by identifying an unexplored by-product of human rights shaming—reciprocation. By identifying this phenomenon, the article explains countries’ noncompliance with treaty obligations, focusing in particular on noncompliance with the Convention against Torture's (CAT) provisions on foreign nationals’ rights. States who learn about violations of their citizens’ rights in other ratifying countries viol…
Constructive Criticism
Shaming is an increasingly common practice. However, empirical evidence suggest that it does not always induce human rights (HR) reforms, and its effect is conditioned by intervening factors. This article hypothesizes that the combination of shaming and incentives induces policy changes in targeted countries. The hypothesis is tested using newly coded data that include 15 countries from Europe, Asia, and Africa that have been subject to the combi…
Linkage leverage democratization and liberalization
Research on transnational human rights promotion and democratization often assumes that human rights promotion and democratization promotion are the same. But evidences from recent studies give reasons to question this assumption. This article compares the EU’s influence on democratization and human rights reforms in 29 countries in East-Europe West-Asia, the Middle East, and North-Africa. The results indicate that the impact of the EU on human r…
Caught in the crossfire
Publication of foreigners’ human rights abuses and retaliation between Convention Against Torture (CAT) states
Institutions that monitor violations of human rights, particularly of victims living outside their home countries, will often name the victims’ countries of origin in their reports. This article looks at this understudied practice and argues that it unintentionally creates bilateral retaliation dynamics between the victims’ home country and the country violating the victims’ rights. The article defines retaliation and explains why countries care …
Reciprocating to the bottom
Is reciprocity possible in human rights agreements? This article argues that human rights agreements can create negative diffuse reciprocity if there is reliable information about countries’ compliance levels. The article analyses the link between information on countries’ non-compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the one hand, and countries’ efforts to protect social economic rights on the other. I…
The EU, China, trade dependence and human rights
This article looks at the linkages between export to the European Union (EU), export to china and human rights policies. The article argues that countries that export to the EU at high rates are more likely to converge towards its policies than countries that don't export to the EU. The article also argues that the rise of China as a significant economic actor does not undermine this process. The article tests these arguments by analysing the lin…
Nationalism, Identity, and Rebellion
This article puts forward an in-depth examination of the Wadi Salib events. The recently disclosed proceedings of the Wadi Salib Committee of National Inquiry are interpreted to show how the Oriental Jews (Mizrachim) explained their actions in Zionist terms centered on Jewish kinship. The Western Jews (Ashkenazim) in turn, rejected the Oriental Jews’ sense of alliance and underlined the colonial element of Zionist identity. Identity threat theory…
Nationalism, Identity, and Rebellion
This article puts forward an in-depth examination of the Wadi Salib events. The recently disclosed proceedings of the Wadi Salib Committee of National Inquiry are interpreted to show how the Oriental Jews (Mizrachim) explained their actions in Zionist terms centered on Jewish kinship. The Western Jews (Ashkenazim) in turn, rejected the Oriental Jews’ sense of alliance and underlined the colonial element of Zionist identity. Identity threat theory…
Conditionality, Communication and Compliance
This article presents findings of an empirical analysis which show that the level of candidate countries' compliance with the accession conditionality is positively associated with the extent of annual pre‐accession monitoring. Focusing on conditionality and labour rights in 11 post‐communist CEE candidate countries, in the period between 1998 and 2009, the study analyzes the relationship between the extent of annual monitoring and the post‐commu…
Channels of Influence
The hard impact of soft co-ordination
Address for correspondence: Sara Kahn-Nisser, POB 808, Ra'anana, Israel, 4310701. email: [email protected]
A Matter of Degree
The EU and the ILO have invested large amounts of resources in the past 20 years in promoting core labour standards. This article examines the products on these investments, by analysing the linkage between the protection of collective labour rights, countries’ statuses in the EU, ratification of the ILO’s fundamental conventions and ILO monitoring. The article argues that labour standards were formulated to counteract competitive pressures aggra…
The Ripple Effect
The article analyzes labor standards using a new dataset and finds a peer effect of treaty ratification, and a positive effect of relationship with the EU. The article examines the ILO's and the EU's labor rights promotion activities since the late 1990s. It reviews international causes of changes in countries' labor standards. It draws on literature on the role of global and regional institutions in shaping country level policies and formulates …
Constructive Criticism
Shaming is an increasingly common practice. However, empirical evidence suggest that it does not always induce human rights (HR) reforms, and its effect is conditioned by intervening factors. This article hypothesizes that the combination of shaming and incentives induces policy changes in targeted countries. The hypothesis is tested using newly coded data that include 15 countries from Europe, Asia, and Africa that have been subject to the combi…
Linkage leverage democratization and liberalization
Research on transnational human rights promotion and democratization often assumes that human rights promotion and democratization promotion are the same. But evidences from recent studies give reasons to question this assumption. This article compares the EU’s influence on democratization and human rights reforms in 29 countries in East-Europe West-Asia, the Middle East, and North-Africa. The results indicate that the impact of the EU on human r…
The EU, China, trade dependence and human rights
This article looks at the linkages between export to the European Union (EU), export to china and human rights policies. The article argues that countries that export to the EU at high rates are more likely to converge towards its policies than countries that don't export to the EU. The article also argues that the rise of China as a significant economic actor does not undermine this process. The article tests these arguments by analysing the lin…
For better or worse
Rulers decide whether to oppress or to comply with HR treaty obligations by considering what compliance entails and by weighing the internal and external costs and benefits of oppression. Research shows that HR shaming alters such considerations and is associated with changes in HR protection levels. Can the same be said of faming? This article examines three forms of HR reporting: faming, which focuses on positive developments; shaming, which fo…
Contextualizing Donors’ Interests
Human rights advocates, particularly intergovernmental organizations (IGO), consider donors’ interests when conducting human rights shaming. Allies of donors receive preferential treatment from IGOs. Do IGOs automatically treat allies of donors more leniently or do they consider the donors’ interests in the specific area being reviewed? This article argues that donor interest considerations are policy‐area‐specific. I substantiate this argument b…
Vicious Cycle
This article explains abuse of foreigners’ rights by identifying an unexplored by-product of human rights shaming—reciprocation. By identifying this phenomenon, the article explains countries’ noncompliance with treaty obligations, focusing in particular on noncompliance with the Convention against Torture's (CAT) provisions on foreign nationals’ rights. States who learn about violations of their citizens’ rights in other ratifying countries viol…
Publication of foreigners’ human rights abuses and retaliation between Convention Against Torture (CAT) states
Institutions that monitor violations of human rights, particularly of victims living outside their home countries, will often name the victims’ countries of origin in their reports. This article looks at this understudied practice and argues that it unintentionally creates bilateral retaliation dynamics between the victims’ home country and the country violating the victims’ rights. The article defines retaliation and explains why countries care …
Reciprocating to the bottom
Is reciprocity possible in human rights agreements? This article argues that human rights agreements can create negative diffuse reciprocity if there is reliable information about countries’ compliance levels. The article analyses the link between information on countries’ non-compliance with the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on the one hand, and countries’ efforts to protect social economic rights on the other. I…
A Voice or an Echo
Does the personal background of women as independent experts in international organizations ( IO s) affect their behavior? By studying the impact of biographies on the behavior of experts in international institutions, we shed light on broader questions of IO performance. We find that, contrary to our expectations, women are more active members than men. We explore this finding in more detail and argue that women’s participation in meetings with …
Friendly advice
This article examines whether the relationship between the members of the United Nations' Treaty Bodies' (TB) home countries and the countries reviewed by these bodies is significant to the amount and style of criticism the reviewed country receives. This article explains why the source–target relationship is significant to shaming. It defines two shaming styles – Socializing shaming and Disciplining shaming and defines elements that enable the i…
Responding to Needs
Refugees’ and migrants’ rights are enshrined in dedicated treaties. Yet other UN TBs (TB) regularly monitor foreigners’ rights. This repetitive use of scarce TBs’ resources could exacerbate monitoring fatigue. Why, then, do TBs do this? This article measures and explains the repetition between TB’s monitoring practices. Utilizing previous research on foreigners’ rights in human rights shaming schemes, it hypothesizes that foreigners’ rights monit…
Pleasing the Buyer
There is a growing amount of evidence suggesting that despite international organizations’ efforts to moderate hierarchical relations, power relations shape their actions and policies. Research shows that international organizations’ human rights promotion actions have not escaped this pattern, and powerful countries can often bias policies in favor of their allies. Less research has examined whether weaker and poorer countries use international …
Introduction to Symposium
Caught in the crossfire
Deflecting criticism
States’ responses to international criticism range from denial and aversion to strategic reinterpretation. One of these responses involves reforming a human rights area that poses a low threat to the incumbent’s survival in power while continuing violations of other rights. In democratically backsliding countries, reform of political rights and freedoms poses an exceptionally high threat to incumbents’ survival in power. This article examines whe…
Experts’ active representation in the UN treaty bodies
Political science (20 works) · Law (17 works) · Law (15 works) · Economics (13 works) · Human rights (12 works) · Politics (10 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Law and economics (8 works) · Human Rights and Development (7 works) · Psychology (7 works)