Treaties
268 Articles
Military Space Operations and International Law
(Editor’s Note: The absence of a comprehensive analysis of the legal framework for military operations in outer space represents a troubling deficiency in the understanding of…
Saudi Crackdown on Dissent Violates Kingdom’s International Legal Obligations
The prosecution of Salman Alodah, a reform-minded Saudi scholar, is particularly emblematic of Saudi Arabia's worrisome pattern of suppressing dissent.
Taking Stock at 40: The UN Convention Against the Taking of Hostages
A product of its time, the Convention emphasized preventing future terrorist attacks by punishing perpetrators. But now, several decades later, it’s clear that stopping hostage…
Female Genital Mutilation and the Treaty Power: What Congress Can Do
Since 1996, the act of female genital mutilation (FGM) has been a federal crime. Federal circuit courts have characterized FGM as “a barbaric practice unbecoming of a civilized…
Abandoning Open Skies: Trump Would Be Squandering More of Our Security Inheritance
Rumors have been swirling about President Donald Trump deciding to withdraw the United States from the Open Skies Treaty. Congress, our allies and the public have been kept in…
Can Turkey be Expelled from NATO? It’s Legally Possible, Whether or Not Politically Prudent
Overall, the absence of a suspension and expulsion mechanism in the North Atlantic Treaty does not prevent the North Atlantic Council from suspending or terminating the membership…
Fear and Loathing on the Border: A First-Hand Look at the Travesty
Far from the loophole-ridden sieve described by the administration, the asylum system we saw was a Kafka-esque labyrinth designed to punish migrants who dare to exercise their…
Top Expert Backgrounder: Children in Immigration Detention — What are the International Norms?
Vice Chair of the United Nations Committee Against Torture, Felice Gaer, writing in her personal capacity.
Citizens to the UN: Investigate Our “Torture Chambers in the Sky”
On behalf of the North Carolina Commission of Inquiry on Torture (NCCIT), a citizen-initiated truth panel, we just submitted a 35-page communication to 10 U.N. Special Rapporteurs…
Why the Arms Trade Treaty Matters – and Why It Matters That the US Is Walking Away
President Donald Trump's decision to "withdraw" from the Arms Trade Treaty is based on a clear misconception of what the treaty is and what it does. To better understand the gravity…
National Security at the United Nations This Week
Editors’ Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…
World Court Rules on Iran Challenge to US Suits for Acts of Terrorism: An Explainer
Key takeaways from the International Court of Justice's judgment in the case of "Certain Iranian Assets": some of Iran's claims against the U.S. over billions of dollars in terrorism-related…