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.
3,512 Articles

Paris Is a Binding Agreement: Here’s Why that Matters
A growing chorus of U.S. business leaders, state and local government officials, civil society groups, and foreign partners have condemned the President’s announcement that,…

Trump’s So-Called Withdrawal from Paris: Far From Over
On Thursday, President Trump announced his intent that the United States “withdraw” from the Paris Agreement, the landmark climate change treaty that establishes national greenhouse…

Yemeni Human Rights Activist Radhya Al-Mutawakel’s Speech to the UN Security Council
Yesterday, leading human rights defender Radhya Almutawakel, the Chairperson of the Yemeni NGO, Mwatana Organization for Human Rights, briefed the UN Security Council on the war…

The UAE’s Military and Naval Reliance on Eritrea Makes the War in Yemen Even Riskier for the U.S.
The Saudi-led coalition’s near three-year conflict in Yemen appears to be converging on the Houthi-controlled city of Hodeidah. Foreign diplomats, international humanitarian…

Imminence and Self-Defense Against Non-State Actors: Australia Weighs In
Australia’s Attorney-General, the Hon. George Brandis QC, recently presented his government’s legal position on the use of force in national self-defense. The text of his speech…

Delegating Commander-in-Chief Powers–Where to strike the balance
The Trump Administration is busy reconsidering the United States’ approach to counterterrorism, and its revised policies will assuredly reflect President Trump’s desire to…
Recap of Recent Posts on Just Security (May 20-26)
I. Foreign Policy Michael Posner, Tillerson’s Degradation of Human Rights Mustn’t–and Can’t Yet–be Executive Branch Policy (Monday, May 22) Sydney Blumenthal, What…

Important Features of Senators Kaine and Flake’s Proposed War Authorization for ISIS–with Annotations
Just Security serves as a space for discussion of whether now and how exactly Congress should tailor legislation authorizing the Executive Branch to wage war against ISIS. On…

Protecting Civilians through Wartime Investigations: Applying the 2016 Minnesota Protocol When it Matters Most
It is highly important to have internationally recognized standards in investigating and prosecuting “potentially unlawful deaths”—an issue that is well recognized in the…

Restating the Law on the Investigation of Potentially Unlawful Death: The 2016 Minnesota Protocol
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Geneva (OHCHR) on 24 May 2017 announced the release of the 2016 Minnesota Protocol on the Investigation of…

Jared Kushner, the Arms Deal, and Alleged Saudi War Crimes
Jared Kushner played a leading role in orchestrating a $100 billion arms deal with the Saudi government, according to the New York Times. At the same time the Saudi air force has…

U.S. Strike in Syria: The (Non) Legal Issues and Lingering Questions
Officials with the Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve (the coalition task force organized to defeat ISIS in Syria and Iraq) have now confirmed that U.S.-led…