United Nations

Highlights:

Pigeons fly against a darkened, cloudy sky looming over a skyline of mid-rise buildings in the background and a destroyed concrete building in the foreground.

Ukraine and the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression: Redefining International Justice

The tribunal to prosecute Russia's crime of aggression seeks to close one of the most enduring gaps in international criminal law and strengthen the U.N. Charter.
People walk through heavy rubble inside the destroyed courtyard of Al-Zeitoun Preparatory School in Gaza City, following Israeli airstrikes on June 29, 2025. The scene is viewed through metal bars in the foreground.

The ICESCR in Armed Conflict: Submission to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights

Experts argue ICESCR applies in armed conflict and caution against broad claims of international humanitarian law as lex specialis.
A wide view of the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question on May 21, 2026. (Via UN Photo) A wide view of the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question on May 21, 2026. (Via UN Photo)

Follow the Law, Not the Plan: Legal Considerations for Third States in Gaza

Third State’s support for Trump’s Gaza plan must remain strictly conditioned on compliance with international law and be continuously reassessed in light of evolving facts.…
Naija Raufi in a dark dress and a floral hijab stands at a balcony railing, overlooking the low- to medium-rise urban landscape of Athens, her back to the camera, alongside a young girl in a pink dress and pony tails in her dark hair.

I Was Afghanistan’s Attorney General. Here Is What Justice Looked Like — and What Destroyed It.

Afghanistan’s justice system took 20 years to build and 11 days to destroy. Former Attorney General Mohammad Farid Hamidi outlines the ongoing fight for accountability.
Two soldiers in the foreground wearing fatigues and olive green caps place flags in front of each of the small, white headstones lined up along the green spring grass under leafy trees at Arlington National Cemetery Arlington, Virginia.

To Memorialize the Fallen, Renew the Pursuit of Peace

This Memorial Day, to honor the memory of those who gave their lives in war, Americans should consider how to help mold a more peaceful future at home and abroad.
Notes about kitchen appliances are seen on a whiteboard as students attend a lesson on housekeeping at a training facility for domestic workers on November 22, 2022 in Kampala, Uganda.

The Kafala System Disables Workers. International Disability Law Can Hold Saudi Arabia Accountable

The story of a Kenyan domestic worker is one of 15 in the first UN communications challenging the Kafala system under the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
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699 Articles
People walk past destroyed homes in Gaza

Submission to the U.N. Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Application of the ICESCR in Situations of Armed Conflict

Outgoing UN Special Rapporteur finds that the destruction of housing in armed conflict is a "central and systemic" violation of international law.
The facade of the ICC building.

Transnational Repression and the Case for International Criminal Accountability

International criminal law should be applied to transnational repression. The tools to do so may already exist.
The flag of Mexico flying at United Nations headquarters in new York (via UN Photo)

How Multilateral Powers Can Still Save the World Order

Imperfect as the postwar order may be, the cost of abandoning it would be far greater than the cost of reinforcing it.
Illustration abstract of hands and arms breaking the chains. (via Getty Images)

Moving Beyond Recognition Toward Repair for Enslavement

International law needs to move beyond legal recognition of the wrongfulness of chattel enslavement and the trade in enslaved people, toward repair and remedy.
A silhouetted person stands inside a damaged building, looking out through a large broken opening at a high-rise building across the street.

The International Compensation Mechanism for Ukraine: Update on the Convention Establishing an International Claims Commission and the Register of Damage for Ukraine

Together, they signal a shift from largely symbolic institution-building to a functional system capable of handling the full scope and scale of Ukraine’s reparations claims.
Four men, one in civilian clothes and the others in uniforms of khaki pants, olive shirts and berets, stand and sit on plastic chairs at the left of the image next to a broad concrete stairway on the right, leading to a green-painted double wooden doorway at the top of the stairs. The mostly white building is trimmed in green and tan.

International Crimes and Human Rights Violations Against Muslims in BJP-Ruled Indian States Require Urgent Action

The international community must redouble efforts to press Indian authorities for accountability in growing violence and rights abuses against Muslims.
A collage of images featuring scenes from the Russia - Ukraine War.

Just Security’s Russia–Ukraine War Archive

A catalog of over 100 articles (many with Ukrainian translations) on the Russia Ukraine War -- law, diplomacy, policy options, and more.
Zouev looks on from left as Gherman speaks, both sitting at a desk behind name plates and in front of other officials, some of them wearing translation headsets.

In the U.N.’s Counterterrorism Strategy Review, the Imperative of Global South Civil Society Participation

As the counterterrorism strategy review unfolds, the U.N., member states, and NGOs should take action to deepen civil society’s role, especially from the Global South.
People wait for information outside the Mexican Specialized Prosecutor's Office for Missing Persons in Guadalajara, Jalisco state, Mexico on April 6, 2026.

Widespread and Systematic Disappearances in Mexico: An Urgent Call for UN Action Under the Convention on Enforced Disappearances

The UN General Assembly and Mexico have the unique opportunity to ensure full realization of the rights of victims and reduce enforced disappearances. They should take it.
Woman sitting down, holding an AK-47 in her lap, in a military base hidden among the mountains in Khalifa, Erbil Province, Iraq.

The International Legal Consequences and Imprudence of U.S. Assistance to Kurdish Rebels in Iran

U.S. policies of funding rebel groups to achieve shared strategic objectives while turning a blind eye to ideology and international law has proven to be myopic time and again
(L/R) US Vice President JD Vance, Jared Kushner, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio look on as US President Donald Trump holds up a resolution document that he signed during the inaugural meeting of the "Board of Peace" at the US Institute of Peace in Washington, DC, on February 19, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP via Getty Images)

Some Questions for Congress About Trump’s Request for Funding for the Board of Peace

Close scrutiny of the administration’s plans for contributions to the Board of Peace is warranted in light of the large dollar amounts involved.
A man takes a photo of an older man's image on a screen.

Codifying Forced Marriage in the Crimes Against Humanity Convention: From Jurisprudence to Treaty Text

States now have an opportunity to codify forced marriage as a specific violation in a proposed treaty on crimes against humanity.
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