Law of Armed Conflict/IHL

Security Council members hold a videoconference in connection with Maintenance of international peace and security.

National Security Last Week at the United Nations (April 2-9)

United States Lifts Sanctions Against ICC Officials On April 2, President Joe Biden reversed one of former President Donald Trump’s executive orders, which imposed sanctions…

Apr. 9, 2021 Josh Asabor

A displaced Syrian girl looks around at the camp created by Turkey's Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH) in Kafr Lusin village on the border with Turkey in Syria's northwestern province of Idlib on March 10, 2020. Tents and laundry hang behind her.

Renouncing Reprisals: An Opportunity for the Biden Administration

The United States claims the legal right to attack civilians and objects indispensable to their survival in certain situations. Biden can reverse that, and an opportunity to do…

Apr. 1, 2021 Adil Ahmad Haque

NZDF troops remove the New Zealand flag from a base in Afghanistan.

Opportunity Missed: New Zealand Defense Force’s Order on Civilian Harm in Wartime

On Feb. 11, 2021, the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) announced new rules on responding to civilian harm. Defence Force Order 35 (DFO 35) introduces NZDF-wide procedures for responding…

Mar. 31, 2021 Thomas Gregory and Larry Lewis

The building and grounds of Germany’s Federal Court of Justice. There is a grassy lawn with a fountain, trees lining the sides, and the building itself is centered.

On Functional Immunity of Foreign Officials and Crimes under International Law

Landmark judgment by Germany’s top criminal court on foreign officials' lack of immunity in war crimes trials. Analysis by renowned scholar, Professor Claus Kress.

Mar. 31, 2021 Claus Kress

A war memorial at Jaffna University before it was demolished, in Jaffna. The memorial is a statue of hands reaching toward the sky coming out of a pile of rubble.

UN Human Rights Council Outlines Sri Lanka Abuses, But Demurs on Action

It’s not the robust independent mechanism victims campaigned for, or the referral to the ICC that they deserve, but it is a potential path to justice.

Mar. 26, 2021 Kate Cronin-Furman

A hand draws on an electronic touch board the letters “AI” with lines and circles radiating outward.

Adding AI to Autonomous Weapons Increases Risks to Civilians in Armed Conflict

A new report from the National Security Commission on AI advocated for the use of AI but also highlighted key risks posed by AI-enabled and autonomous weapons, particularly the…

Mar. 26, 2021 Neil Davison and Jonathan Horowitz

Sri Lanka's President Gotabaya Rajapakse and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse, neither who wear face masks, are surrounded by others, many who wear face masks, as they leave the new cabinet swearing-in ceremony at the Buddhist Temple of the Tooth in the ancient hill capital of Kandy, some 116 km from Colombo on August 12, 2020.

When War Criminals Run the Government: Not Too Late for the International Community to Vet Sri Lankan Officials

Developing such a list of individuals would signal to survivors some measure of recognition of the atrocities they have suffered.

Mar. 16, 2021 Sondra Anton and Tyler Giannini

A Yemeni child standing under a damaged building looks out of a missing wall at buildings that were heavily damaged in an air strike in the southern Yemeni city of Taez.

Legally Sliding into War

"We need to grapple with the legal mechanisms through which presidential administration after administration has legally justified escalating, elongating, and expanding conflicts…

Mar. 15, 2021 Rebecca Ingber

A graphic illustration of Germany with a triangular grid pattern symbolizing virtual connections.

Germany’s Positions on International Law in Cyberspace Part II

Germany issues major statement on use of force and International Humanitarian Law in cyberspace, analyzed here by leading expert Professor Michael Schmitt.

Mar. 10, 2021 Michael Schmitt

Grave stones of some of the sixteen Afghan villagers who were killed in the March massacre are pictured in the grave-yard in Panjwai district of Kandahar province on November 4, 2012. Colorful fabrics are strung across the grave stones and also laid on the ground partially covering the graves.

Why We Prosecute Wartime Misconduct

President Trump never pardoned Robert Bales, despite a strong push to do so. Any clemency for him would have resulted in manifest injustice to not just Bales’ victims, but to…

Mar. 10, 2021 Lt. Col. (ret.) Jay Morse

A phone show the Garmin Connect software with an error message that reads, “Server Maintenance: Sorry, we are down for maintenance. Check back shortly.” and “We are currently experiencing an outage that affects Garmin.com and Garmin Connect. This outage also affects our call centers, and we are currently unable to receive any calls, emails, or online chats. We are working to resolve this issue as quickly as possible and apologize for this inconvenience.” A watch that is clearly not working and has a dark screen is shown next to the phone with these messages.

Germany’s Positions on International Law in Cyberspace Part I

Germany issues major statement on cyberspace and international law, analyzed here by leading expert Professor Michael Schmitt.

Mar. 9, 2021 Michael Schmitt

Sri Lanka Army Commander Shavendra Silva reviewing troops headed to Mali as U.N. peacekeepers on Nov. 6, 2019, at the at the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment (VIR) Headquarters at Boyagane, Sri Lanka.

UN Should Suspend Sri Lanka from Peacekeeping Over Human Rights Abuses

The government has failed in its international obligations to investigate and prosecute crimes, and has promoted alleged war criminals to high levels.

Mar. 5, 2021 Yasmin Sooka