International Law

Just Security offers expert analysis of international law and its role in addressing global challenges. Our coverage includes litigation in international and regional tribunals, the process of international law-making, analysis of compliance and accountability for international law violations–including international criminal justice, and challenges to the international legal order.

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3,511 Articles
People clap for Trump in the Rose Garden on June 1, 2017 after announcing the US will pull out of the Paris climate agreement.

Reengaging on Treaties and Other International Agreements (Part I): President Donald Trump’s Rejection of International Law

If Joe Biden defeats President Donald Trump, he will face the question of how to revive U.S. participation on the international stage, including through rejoining many of the international…
Protesters calling for a civilian government held large protests in Khartoum to commemorate those who were killed June 30, 2019 in Khartoum, Sudan.

Will COVID-19 Create a Human Rights Crisis in the Middle East and North Africa?

Emergency powers imposed to stop the spread of COVID-19 jeopardize free speech and other fundamental rights-- and they may linger long after the threat to public health recedes.
The damaged interior of the hospital in which the Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) medical charity operated is seen on October 13, 2015 following an air strike in the northern city of Kunduz.

Online Symposium on Civilian Casualties: The Law of Prevention and Response

An important symposium series, “Civilian Casualties: The Law of Prevention and Response,” is kicking off on Wednesday (September 30) at noon EDT.
Cell room doors are seen at the Caroline Detention Facility in Bowling Green, Virginia, on August 13, 2018. - A former regional jail, the facility has been contracted by the US Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to house undocumented adult immigrant detainees.

The U.S. Bears International Responsibility for Forced Sterilization of Women in ICE Detention

A sterilization performed without the patient’s prior, full, free, and informed consent is a human rights violation.
An MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted aircraft (RPA) flies by during a training mission at Creech Air Force Base on November 17, 2015 in Indian Springs, Nevada.

An Enduring Impasse on Autonomous Weapons

Are existing international laws sufficient or are new legal rules needed to codify the “human element” in the use of force?
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, without a face mask, speaks to reporters following a meeting with members of the UN Security Council about Iran's alleged non-compliance with a nuclear deal and calling for the restoration of sanctions against Iran at United Nations headquarters in New York, August 20, 2020.

The US “Snapback” Against Iran – Bad Politics and Flawed Law

One of the most eminent former US Ambassadors issues 9-page memorandum challenging the US government's position on the Iran nuclear deal.
A young boy walks in front of a grafittied wall spelling out the symptoms of and ways to avoid Coronavirus in Mathare informal settlement on July 10, 2020 in Nairobi, Kenya.

Access to Information During a Pandemic – A Matter of Life or Death

Sept. 28 marks the first International Day for Universal Access to Information. As the pandemic reveals, access to timely and accurate information has never been more vital. And…
Pakistani children and activists carry placards during a peace walk to mark Human Rights Day in Karachi on December 9, 2012. Signs read, "Do you know your human rights?" and "Human Right #26 The Right to Education"

Reclaiming the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the Pompeo Commission – Part 2

The panel's lengthy exegesis of the Declaration contains at least six glaring omissions that have real-world consequences.
A monitor displays the words Commission on Unalienable Rights behind Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as he speaks without a face mask during a news conference at the State Department in Washington,DC on July 15, 2020.

Reclaiming Human Rights from the Pompeo Commission – Part 1

Its report displays an interpretative sneakiness, invoking the “founding era” and “founding principles” in a highly selective and under-inclusive way.
Professor of practice at Syracuse University College of Law David Crane, United Nations Representative from France Gerard Araud, and forensic pathologist Dr. Stuart Hamilton give a report on the allegations of torture in Syria at the United Nations on April 15, 2014 in New York City.

The Netherlands’ Action Against Syria: A New Path to Justice

Cases such as one in Germany to address individual criminal responsibility are insufficient on their own to address the scope of the documented criminality.
Protesters demonstrate against the war in Yemen and the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi outside the Saudi Arabian embassy on October 25, 2018 in London, England. A sign reads, "Justice for Jamal."

The Verdict in the Khashoggi Murder Isn’t Final By Any Stretch

The world must show MBS, Putin, the IRGC, and other would-be princely assassins the heavy price they will pay for murdering their citizens abroad. 
Abortion rights activists rally in front of the US Supreme Court in Washington, DC, on May 21, 2019. Signs read, "Safe abortion is a human right" and "Keep abortion legal."

UN Experts to Trump Administration: Reproductive Rights are Human Rights

It is crucial to call out US efforts to undermine the UN human rights system and erase the well-established framework of rights protections.
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