UN Charter
217 Articles
The UN Security Council Is About to Dangerously Undermine Fair Trial Guarantees
Dangerous flaws in a current draft U.N. Security Council resolution on foreign fighters need to be addressed, if the Security Council is to live up to its responsibility to respect…
The Challenges of a New UN Security Council Resolution on Foreign Fighters
The United Nations Security Council is actively negotiating a new Chapter VII resolution directed at the regulation of so-called “foreign terrorist fighters” this month. The…
A Threat or A Warning: Russia’s Weapons Testing in Space
Are there rules governing the use of weapons in space? A well-established framework of international law centered on the Outer Space Treaty (OST), to which all major spacefaring…
The UN Cannot Live on Past Laurels: The Time for Courageous Leadership on Anti-Black Racism Is Now
The U.N. and its specialized agencies must take action to redress anti-Black racism within and beyond its institutional walls.
The United Nations Charter at 75: Between Force and Self-Defense — Part Two
A more complete view of the UN Charter explains why there are no unwritten exceptions to the prohibition of force.
The United Nations Charter at 75: Between Force and Self-Defense — Part One
As we celebrate the Charter’s seventy-fifth birthday, a deep dive into its negotiating history shows that the right of self-defense under Article 51 is triggered by an act of…
On Iranian Gunboats: Beware Conflating American and Mainstream Views of the Law
In a recent essay in Just Security entitled “Iranian Gunboat Harassment and the Rules of Engagement,” Michael Schmitt and Durward Johnson explore important questions raised…
Iranian Gunboat Harassment and the Rules of Engagement
What to make of Trump's order to “shoot down and destroy” lranian boats that harass US vessels. International law and Standing Rules of Engagement place significant limits.
The Time has Come to Have a Conversation at the U.N. on Self-Defence
Pablo Arrocha Olabuenaga, Legal Adviser to Mexico's Mission to UN, writes in his personal capacity about an important conversation on international law.
The Trump Administration’s Latest (Failed) Attempt to Justify the Soleimani Strike
Two months after killing Qassem Soleimani, the Trump administration still hasn’t gotten its story straight. On January 3rd, the day of the operation, and for the next 10 days,…
Germany Goes 19th Century with New Statement on Law of Occupation — On Status of US Forces in Syria
Are U.S. forces in Syria “occupiers” under international law?
Compilation of States’ Reactions to U.S. and Iranian Uses of Force in Iraq in January 2020
A comprehensive guide to every state in the world's reaction to the U.S. operation killing of Qassem Soleimani and to the Iranian military response.