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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3,509 Articles
Servicemen of Ukrainian Military Forces move FIM-92 Stinger missiles, a man-portable air-defence system (MANPADS), that operates as an infrared homing surface-to-air missile (SAM), and the other military assistance shipped from Lithuania to Boryspil Airport in Kyiv on February 13, 2022. (Photo by SERGEI SUPINSKY/AFP via Getty Images)

Articulating Arms Control Law in the EU’s Lethal Military Assistance to Ukraine

In order to arm Ukraine against Russian aggression without undermining global arms control infrastructure, EU Member States must carefully assess risks and mitigation strategies…
Image: The International Court of Justice (ICJ), principal judicial organ of the UN, holds public hearings (by video link) on the preliminary objections raised by Myanmar in the case concerning “Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” (The Gambia v. Myanmar) at the Peace Palace in The Hague, from 21 to 28 February 2022. Sessions are held under the presidency of Judge Joan E. Donoghue, President of the Court. A wide view of the members of the Court on the opening day, including Ko Ko Hlaing, the representative of Myanmar's military junta, on the opening day of the hearings. Feb. 21, 2022. UN Photo/Frank van Beek

The People of Myanmar Need to Be Heard, Not Ostracized, on the International Stage

So far, U.N. bodies have boosted the legitimacy of the Myanmar junta (at the ICJ) or denied the Burmese people the right to be represented at all (at the Human Rights Council).…
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) President Peter Maurer hold a joint press conference following their talks in Moscow on March 24, 2022. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / POOL / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Neutrality in Humanitarian Actions Means Talking to All Parties to a Conflict

Criticism of ICRC's diplomacy with Russia misunderstands the role of humanitarian actors.
A couple sits in the dark with winter clothing and their belongings and some food close by. Iryna Holoshchapova, a Ukrainian refugee who fled the embattled city of Mykolaiv, shows a video on her smartphone of a friend's apartment block in Mykolaiv on fire following a Russian attack as she, her son Tibor and mother Halina rest in a heated tent at the Medyka border crossing on March 9, 2022 in Medyka, Poland

Ukraine May Mark a Turning Point in Documenting War Crimes

Hendrix's interviews foreground local Ukraine researchers who have been documenting Russian war crimes over many years before now.

Hijab Bans, Hindutva, and the Burden of Hindsight

The rising risk of genocide against Muslims in India requires a response from governments and media companies.
Russia vs Ukraine flag on cracked wall, concept of war between russia and ukraine, silhouette of soldiers on russia vs ukraine flag

Bargaining About War in the Shadow of International Law

International law offers important tools to prod adversaries to avoid military options for resolving disputes.
Image: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM - MARCH 24: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson (L), German Chancellor Olaf Scholz (C), U.S. President Joe Biden (C-R) and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (R) looks on during a video call with Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine, during a NATO summit on Russia's invasion of Ukraine, at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels, on March 24, 2022 in Brussels, Belgium. Heads of State and Government take part in the North Atlantic Council (NAC) Summit, where they will decide on the next steps to strengthen NATO's deterrence and defence. (Photo Denzel/Bundesregierung via Getty Images)

Does the ‘Responsibility to Protect’ Require States to go to War with Russia?

In short: No. Here's how to understand what the R2P commitment does require in Ukraine and beyond.
Men dressed in suits sit around a large table with stacks of documents in front of each of them. Iona Nikitchenko and Aron Trainin (center, center left) during deliberations at the London Conference, 1945.

Как Советский Союз помог установить преступление агрессивной войны

"Что не всегда признается, так это жизненно важная роль, которую Россия, или, точнее, Советский Союз,…
US vehicle is pictured at a military base in Rumaylan (Rmeilan) in Syria's northeastern Hasakeh province on July 28, 2020. (Photo by Delil SOULEIMAN / AFP) (Photo by DELIL SOULEIMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Still at War: The United States in Yemen

Relying on military force alone in Yemen, a longstanding front in the "forever war," will not promote US interests or regional stability.
Standing in front of their respective national flags and each behind a tall white podium, the leaders of Ukraine, Lithuania, and Poland speak to the international press. The event took place in Kyiv on February 23, 2022. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at center, and his counterparts from Lithuania Gitanas Nauseda on the right, and Poland Andrzej Duda on the left. 

How States Can Prosecute Russia’s Aggression With or Without “Universal Jurisdiction”

Prosecutions could quite easily be based on Ukraine’s delegation of its own jurisdiction through bilateral or multilateral agreement.

Як Міністерство юстиції може переслідувати росіян за воєнні злочини і як Конгрес може розширити свої повноваження

"Ця реформа давно назріла і включає зміни, які раніше заохочували Міністерство оборони та Державний…

How DOJ Could Prosecute Russians for War Crimes, and How Congress Can Expand Its Remit

"This reform is long overdue and includes amendments previously encouraged by the Department of Defense and Department of State."
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