UN Charter
Highlights:
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.
132 Articles
Pax Americana: How Not to Hide an Empire
The international order worth fighting for is a radically different world altogether.
The Voices from Kyiv: Is the World Legal Order in Decay?
The Russian invasion of Ukraine, and states’ reactions to it, are setting the stage for possible changes to the international legal order. In the end, this is a battle for a…
Голоси з Києва: чи це епоха руйнування світового правопорядку?
Існують різні переломні точки в історії, які визначили метаморфозу міжнародного правопорядку.
U.S. Military Action in Mexico: Almost Certainly Illegal, Definitely Counterproductive
U.S. military action in Mexico would not only be illegal, it would sabotage Trump’s stated immigration policy priorities and could lead to retaliation against Americans.
More Territory, More Problems: Can Trump Seize Greenland?
An essay on the lessons for the Trump administration of territorial acquisition from the McKinley era and the dangers it would pose today.
“The Trump Administration’s Attacks on International Law and Institutions”: Public Statement of American Human Rights Experts, Current and Former Members of UN Bodies
Since the 20th of January, we have watched with increasing alarm as the administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump has sought to repudiate the commitments of the United States…
An Interim Report on the ICJ’s Climate Advisory Opinion
The International Court of Justice's proceedings in a climate change advisory opinion case stand to issue important, authoritative guidance about the nature and interaction of…
What the UN’s Summit of the Future Can Teach Us – When the Dust Settles
The Summit did not reinvigorate multilateralism. Multilateralism survived, yes, but did not exactly get a new lease on life.
The UN’s New Pact for the Future: A Milestone That Can Set a Path for Change
How the recent summit could spur long-overdue structural changes necessary for more inclusive, networked, and effective global governance.
The Just Security Podcast: What to Expect from the 2024 U.N. General Assembly
Unpacking the key themes around this year’s U.N. General Assembly is Richard Gowan, the U.N. Director at the International Crisis Group.
The Just Security Podcast: Assessing the Laws of War
Cordula Droege, chief legal officer and head of the legal division of the International Committee of the Red Cross, assesses the laws of war.
War and What We Make of the Law
Compliance with international humanitarian law must be about fulfilling its humanitarian purpose, not skirting its limits.