UN Charter
Highlights:
The United Nations and a World in Pain
The U.N.’s survival depends on how it positions itself between the elephant and the mouse, in South America and the Caribbean, Asia, Africa, and beyond.
The ICJ’s Advisory Opinion on Israel’s Obligations Towards UNRWA and Other International Organizations in the Occupied Territories: Key Issues
Unpacking the International Court of Justice's advisory opinion on Israel's obligations towards the UN and others to provide humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza.
Crisis as Catalyst: The Past, Present, and Future of International Law
To see crisis as catalyst is to reject fatalism and to believe that law can be both a shield and a compass in turbulent times. #ILW2025 aims to honor that belief.
Attacking Drug Cartels in the Territory of Another State
The U.S. operations conducted to date against suspected members of drug cartels stretch the applicable international law rules and their interpretation beyond recognition.
Crisis as Catalyst in International Law
On its 80th anniversary, the U.N. is undertaking much-needed reform. Despite pressures, it continues to be one of the world’s most important and impactful institutions.
The United Nations in Hindsight: The Increasing Use of Article 51 of the UN Charter and the Security Council
Reports required under Article 51 are crucial for the UNSC to assess disputed self-defense claims and ensure accountability and maintain peace.
144 Articles
At the Coming U.N. Leaders Meetings: Existential Questions on the U.S. Role, Israel-Palestine, and the U.N. Itself
This year's General Assembly meeting may do more to spotlight the U.N.’s current weaknesses than help find solutions to them.
Striking Hamas in Qatar: “Unwilling or Unable”?
Leading legal expert analyzes the Israeli airstrike on Hamas leadership in Doha, Qatar.
The Just Security Podcast: Murder on the High Seas? What You Need to Know about the U.S. Strike on the Caribbean Vessel
Rebecca Ingber and Brian Finucane join Tess Bridgeman to unpack what you need to know about the U.S. strike on a purported drug trafficking vessel in the Caribbean.
The United Nations in Hindsight: The Security Council and the UN80 Initiative – What Lies Ahead?
The road to a leaner, more efficient U.N. is likely to be bumpy, but as the U.N. turns 80, its future may lie in being able to adapt to shifting global realities.
Climate-Vulnerable States Vindicated in the Hague: A First Look at the International Court of Justice’s Climate Advisory Opinion
With this unanimous opinion, the ICJ has taken a clear stand in favor of a coherent and equitable international legal response to climate change.
Understanding the Trump Administration’s Delisting of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham
On July 8, the Department of State removed Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), also known as Jabhat al-Nusrah, from the Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) list. In a press release…
Assessing the U.S. Article 51 Letter for the Attack on Iran: Legal Lipstick on the Use of Force Pig
Former State Department attorney analyzes U.S. letter to UN Security Council that presented legal arguments for U.S. strike on Iran's nuclear facilities.
Indefensible: Israel’s Unlawful Attack on Iran
Part of our ongoing series on the Israel-Iran war.
International Law at the Precipice: Holding Leaders Accountable for the Crime of Aggression in Russia’s War Against Ukraine
The Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine cannot be treated as a bargaining chip in negotiations to end hostilities.
Negotiations at Gunpoint: Does U.S. Pressure on Ukraine for a Minerals Deal Amount to Unlawfully Procuring a Treaty by Use of Force?
Coercion leveraged by the U.S. to secure Ukrainian mineral resources could be deemed use of force, rendering any resulting treaty void.
Upending the International Order: Why Undermining the UN Charter and US Defense Commitments is Self-Defeating
The President should understand that bellicose threats and unreliability as an ally may leave the United States poorer and more vulnerable on his watch and will frustrate his nuclear…
Why the ICC Should Respect Immunities of Heads of Third States
International courts must respect international law, also in dire times. The International Criminal Court’s denial of immunity to heads of third States does not.