The Policy Laundering Project
A new resource website has been launched called The Policy Laundering Project, set up by Privacy International, Statewatch and the American Civil Liberties Union which
"will monitor and influence the increasingly common formation of civil liberties-sensitive security policies through international organizations. "
e.g.
Communications surveillance
Travel surveillance
Identity documents
Terrorist watch lists
Migration and border controls
Security cooperation
Financial surveillance
All of these policy areas are being partially justified on the often spurious grounds that new/expensive/repressive national policies are called for, because of international agreements or treaty obligations.
These calls by "international institutions" such as the European Union, or United Nations etc. are very often not from neutral, independent bodies, but are the result of Policy Laundering, which have been heavily lobbied or influenced by the very same national governments trying to implement those policies, and seeking the fig leaf of international justification.
e.g. the UK Government's spurious claims about the requirements for Biometric Identifiers in Passports and ID Cards.