UN Charter
199 Articles

The Rio Treaty: Paving the Way for Military Intervention in Venezuela?
Renewed focus on the presence of terrorist groups in Venezuela, and the Maduro regime’s involvement with such groups, suggest that the ground is being paved for a potential military…

Reassessing U.S. Cyber Operations Against Iran and the Use of Force
"There is good reason to conclude the United States may have crossed the use of force threshold with this cyber operation."

U.S. Offensive Cyber Operations against Economic Cyber Intrusions: An International Law Analysis – Part II
Part I demonstrated that the United States is likely to struggle to make a convincing argument that economic cyber intrusions carried out against it breach international law. Consequently,…

Iran’s Shifting Views on Self-Defense and ‘Intraterritorial’ Force
Iran’s justification for shooting down a US drone suggests a subtle shift in its understanding of international law.

What’s the Mission in Syria? The Answer May be Illegal and Without U.S. Allies’ Support
Statements about a US "peacekeeping" force and a mission to counter-Iran raise serious legal questions and threaten to unravel U.S. allies' support for future U.S. operations inside…

Them’s Fightin’ Words? State Dept. Ramps Up Iran Rhetoric
The Trump administration's repeated use of the phrase, “threat to international peace and security,” when talking about Iran, should be monitored carefully.

U.S. Military’s “Collective Self-Defense” of Non-State Partner Forces: What Does International Law Say?
Earlier this month, Senator Tim Kaine made public a letter he wrote to Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis asking for clarification on the meaning of “collective self-defense of…

The U.N. Security Council’s Outsized Role in Shaping Counter Terrorism Regulation and Its Impact on Human Rights
This week, as U.N. Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, I submitted my annual report to the…

U.N. Peace Operations Should Get Off the Counter-Terror Bandwagon
There has been too little discussion of the enormous risks that counter-terrorism involvement in U.N. peace operations poses for U.N. efforts to maintain and build peace.

The Latin American View of Jus ad Bellum
For the past few weeks, Rebecca Ingber, Elvina Pothelet, Priya Pillai and I have been engaged in the task of systematizing State reactions to the April 14 air strikes carried out…

AI, Law of Armed Conflict, and “Liminal” Conflict Among Technological Peer Great Powers
Above: People look at drones the Ukrainian government claims it recovered in eastern Ukraine that prove direct Russian involvement in the fighting between Ukrainian troops and…

A View from a Syrian International Lawyer: Were the April 14 Strikes Legal?
On April 14, the United States, the United Kingdom and France conducted air strikes in Syria in response to the Syrian government’s alleged use of chemical weapons in Douma.…