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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US Marine Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) prepare to hit the beach during the amphibious landing exercises as part of the annual joint US-Philippines military exercise on the shores of San Antonio town, facing the South China sea, Zambales province on April 11, 2019.

Secretary Pompeo’s Surprising Defense of International Law, Allies, and the Law of the Sea Convention

Sec. Pompeo's statement on China's excessive maritime claims is right in substance, but it showcases the schizophrenic U.S. approach to its allies, the law of the sea, and international…
World map with golden threads indictaing global connectivity.

Trail Smelter Arbitration Offers Little Guidance for COVID-19 Suits against China

On June 23, the Senate Committee on the Judiciary held an extraordinary hearing on whether to amend the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA) in order to permit domestic lawsuits…
The head offices of Unitel as seen on January 28, 2020 in Luanda, Angola.

How the Financial Systems America Built Enable Oppression Abroad

Congress may have a new opportunity to tackle this complicity with a proposed amendment to the NDAA on beneficial ownership.
Supporters raise their fists while standing at the State Capitol during a National Mother's March in St. Paul, Minnesota July 12, 2020.

Does Transitional Justice Belong in the United States?

The first piece in our Racing National Security Symposium explains why transitional justice belongs in the United States.
a prepared grave at Potocari memorial cemetery, near Srebrenica two days before the commemoration 25 years after Srebrenica massacre on July 9, 2020.

Denial of the Srebrenica Genocide Must Be Exposed and Condemned

Imagine the international outrage if murals of Hitler were displayed across Germany, or if a Berlin student dorm were named after Eichmann. Precisely this type of scenario has…
Demonstrators participate in a protest against police brutality on June 14, 2020 in Miami, Florida.

Systemic Racist Police Brutality Shocks the Conscience of Humanity, but is it an International Crime?

(Editor’s note: To mark today’s 25th anniversary of the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia, Just Security is publishing two articles. In addition to this piece by Margaret deGuzman…
US Defense Secretary Mark Esper (L) and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Mark A. Milley, testify about the Defense department budget during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, March 4, 2020.

DOD’s New Ex Gratia Policy: What’s Right, What’s Wrong, and What’s Next

On June 22, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued an interim policy regulation for providing ex gratia payments to civilians harmed as a result of U.S. military operations. It…
Smoke billowing out of buidlings following a coalition air strike in the western al-Daraiya neighbourhood of the embattled northern Syrian city of Raqa on September 5, 2017.

Toward a Consistent and Coherent Ex Gratia Policy for Civilian Casualties

The summer of 2017 was an extended nightmare for the Badrans. Over the course of several weeks, 39 members of Rasha Badran’s family, most of them women and children, were killed…
World Health Organization (WHO) press conference

National Security at the United Nations This Week (July 3-10)

(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,…
Aerial view of a market street (with heavily damaged buildings nearby) in Ariha in the southern countryside of Syria's Idlib province before sunset during the Muslim holy fasting month of Ramadan, as people who had fled advancing government forces months earlier return to the town.

The New U.S. “Caesar” Sanctions on Syria Are Illegal

The new U.S. sanctions on Syria, which came into effect last month, are likely to bring the suffering of the Syrian people to new heights.
Protesters light candles as they mourn their martyrs in Tahrir Square as nationwide protests entered a third month on December 6, 2019, in Baghdad, Iraq.

Iraqi Researcher’s Death Adds Urgency to Penalizing Iran-Backed Militias With New U.K. “Magnitsky” Law

Hisham al-Hashimi exposed human rights violations and corruption. The British penalties would reinforce similar US measures and support Iraqi reforms.
Empty UN Security Council chamber.

Mexico’s Priorities as an Elected Member to the Security Council for 2021-2022

In this essay for Just Security, the Permanent Representative of Mexico to the United Nations and Mexico’s Legal Adviser outline the government’s priorities when it becomes…
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