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.
3,521 Articles

The Shamima Begum Decision: What Could It Mean for Other ISIS Women and Children Unable to Repatriate?
The attention Shamima Begum's most recent success before the Court of Appeal in the United Kingdom received might signify the small glimmer of hope the ruling appears to create…

Beyond Color-Blind National Security Law
"[I]nternational and national security legal regimes have always been steeped in racial connotation, even if rarely acknowledging as much. This raises the question of what a different…

Implications of the Myanmar ICJ and ICC Cases for Non-Rohingya Minorities
(Editors Note: This article is the fourth and final piece of a special Just Security forum on the ongoing Gambia v. Myanmar litigation at the International Court of Justice and…

National Security at the United Nations This Week (July 25-31)
(Editor’s Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…

Treaty Banning Cluster Munitions Turns 10, but Without the US
This November, Switzerland will convene the milestone Second Review Conference for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Lausanne, but the U.S. is likely to be absent, as usual.

A Threat or A Warning: Russia’s Weapons Testing in Space
Are there rules governing the use of weapons in space? A well-established framework of international law centered on the Outer Space Treaty (OST), to which all major spacefaring…

Can the International Criminal Court Hold the Trump Administration in Contempt?
On June 11, President Donald Trump issued an executive order authorizing the imposition of sanctions targeting International Criminal Court officials. This article assesses the…

U.S. and Multilateral Policy Options to Address Abuses Against Uyghurs in Xinjiang
(Editor’s Note: This is the second of two articles discussing human rights violations against China’s Uyghur population. The first article, by Lisa Reinsberg, discusses the…

U.N. Human Rights Committee General Comment No. 37 on Freedom of Assembly: An Excellent and Timely Contribution
General Comment No. 37 by the U.N. Human Rights Committee, the treaty body monitoring compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), was released…

Interview with Christof Heyns: Major New UN Comment on Right of Peaceful Assembly
Podcast and transcript of interview with United Nations Human Rights Committee's Heyns. Topics include use of plain clothed law enforcement officers, teargas, and more.

Legally Available Options: A Case for Indicting Russian Officers for Providing Material Support to the Taliban
Missing from analyses of potential responses to Russian operations in Afghanistan is the possibility of an indictment against the G.R.U. officers involved.

China’s Forced Sterilization of Uyghur Women Violates Clear International Law
As new evidence emerges of the Chinese government’s forcible sterilization of Uyghur women, communities around the world are sure to recognize elements of a familiar pattern.