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.
3,769 Articles

National Security at the United Nations This Week (June 19-26)
(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,…

Crises of Accountability for U.S. Systemic Abuses of Power
On this International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, the United States is at a crossroads. We will know soon if the country is capable of breaking the cycle of impunity…

Trump’s Rationale for Attacking the ICC—Continuity with Bush and Obama’s War on Terrorism
An article by the first Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

As Trump Mulls New US Nuclear Tests, We Can Learn from a “Small” Country’s Resistance to the Bomb
How do progressive activists find agency facing a nuclear weapons complex backed by the most powerful militaries in the world? Answers may lie in the history of the struggle against…

National Guard Risks and Recommendations in Public Order Management
Since the tragic murder of George Floyd by police on May 25, more than 20 states have activated National Guard units to support local law enforcement in response to protests…

As UN Renews Peacekeeping in Mali, Civilian Protection Requires Ongoing Push for Air Assets
The mission is missing critical military helicopters it needs in several locations to carry out its recently expanded mandate.

The ICC Wants Justice But Has No Mandate
The recent escalation in the ongoing conflict between the United States and the International Criminal Court (ICC) is as unfortunate as it is predictable, having come to a head…

The United Nations Charter at 75: Between Force and Self-Defense — Part Two
A more complete view of the UN Charter explains why there are no unwritten exceptions to the prohibition of force.

The United Nations Charter at 75: Between Force and Self-Defense — Part One
As we celebrate the Charter’s seventy-fifth birthday, a deep dive into its negotiating history shows that the right of self-defense under Article 51 is triggered by an act of…

Draft “Murad Code” Aims to Improve Investigations of Sexual Violence in Conflict
The guidelines respond to troubling past practices that made investigations ineffective, re-traumatizing, unnecessarily duplicative, and a security risk.

National Security at the United Nations This Week (June 12-19)
(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,…

How Inter-State Procedures in Human Rights Treaties Can Support the Black Lives Matter Movement
The initiation of inter-State conciliation proceedings alone, under either convention, could send a powerful and symbolic message about the need for reform. The Conventions provide…