Armed Conflict

Just Security’s expert authors provide analysis on the legal, policy, and strategic dimensions of armed conflict, including the Russia-Ukraine war, the Israel-Hamas war, counterterrorism operations, conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa, and other armed conflicts across the globe, with a focus on international humanitarian law, war crimes and accountability, mitigating and remedying civilian harm, and the humanitarian impacts of warfare.

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3,301 Articles
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) and Chinese President Xi Jinping arrive to pose for a photo in front of their respective flags during their meeting in Beijing, on February 4, 2022, when they said in a joint statement that their "Friendship between the two States has no limits." (Photo by ALEXEI DRUZHININ/Sputnik/AFP via Getty Images)

US Must Sharpen Attention to Potential Global Crisis Posed by Russia and China

Given Putin's war on Ukraine and Xi's threats to Taiwan and the two leaders' "no limits" partnership, deterrence and democracy are at risk.
Exterior View of the new International Criminal Court building in The Hague on July 30, 2016 in The Hague The Netherlands.

Unpacking New Legislation on US Support for the International Criminal Court

"Congress has now given the Biden administration the tools it needs – both legal and political -- [to provide US support to the ICC Prosecutor] and the ball is now in its court."
a guard tower is visible behind a razor-wire fence at the detention camp on July 23, 2008 at Guantanamo Bay U.S. Naval Base, in Cuba.

Rehabilitation for Torture at Guantanamo is a Moral and Legal Imperative

To be an effective leader, the United States must honor its commitments under the Convention Against Torture.
Protesters hold signs that read "Trans Rights are Human Rights" while a wall of police stand between them and Proud Boys members with handkerchiefs over their faces.

The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers Are Domestic Terrorists, It’s Past Time to Call Them What They Are

The Proud Boys and Oath Keepers who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6th are not drinking buddies or patriots. They are violent extremists.
Costa Rican Ambassador to the UN Martiza Chan and Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Christian Guillermet-Fernandez stand on stage with a black background holding copies of the Belén Communiqué.

Latin America and Caribbean Nations Rally Against Autonomous Weapons Systems

After a decade of debate, it is urgent for States to start drafting new legally binding rules to prevent the automation of killing.
U.S. President Joe Biden (R) meets with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky (L) in the Oval Office of the White House on December 21, 2022 in Washington, DC. Zelensky is meeting with President Biden on his first known trip outside of Ukraine since the Russian invasion began, and the two leaders are expected to discuss continuing military aid. Zelensky will reportedly address a joint meeting of Congress in the evening.

Almost There: When Will the Biden Administration Support the ICC in Ukraine?

The ICC’s investigation may be the only viable effort to hold accountable certain senior Russian officials responsible for horrific atrocities in Ukraine. The only thing that…

Насильницьке переміщення Росією українських цивільних осіб: Громадянське суспільство, підзвітність, справедливість

Ці спільні зусилля є практичним проявом єдності та солідарності міжнародної спільноти, спрямованої…

Russia’s Forcible Transfers of Ukrainian Civilians: How Civil Society Aids Accountability and Justice

A Ukrainian whose organization received the Nobel Peace Prize writes with an exiled Russian democracy activist and a US legal-rights advocate on the challenge of documenting these…
shot of soldiers lining up

Lieber at Sand Creek: A New Critical Reinterpretation of the Laws of War

Lieber’s Code reflected and reproduced a virulent thread in the law of nations that preceded him by centuries and continues today.
Ukrainian recruits and their British Armed Forces trainers pose for a photograph on Driver Tank Trainer (DTT) armoured vehicles

Can Aid or Assistance Be a Use of Force?: Expert Q&A from Stockton Center’s Russia-Ukraine Conference

Some States are likely engaging in force by virtue of the quantity and quality of the support they are providing to Ukraine. Those activities are lawful as actions taken in the…
Protesters hold the blue and yellow Ukrainian flag up to the sky.

Lessons From a Year of War in Ukraine

Learning the right lessons from the first year of war will be important as the world looks to restore peace and cope with Russia's choices.
Antonio Guterres speaks at a podium

Starting Bell Rings for U.N. Counterterrorism Negotiations with Big Questions Unanswered

Yesterday, United Nations (U.N.) Secretary-General António Guterres released the biannual report on the “Activities of the United Nations system in implementing the United Nations…
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