UN Security Council (UNSC)
303 Articles
Letter to the Editor: Not So Fast on Calling it an “Armed Conflict” Between the US and Syria
In Tuesday’s provocative entry, “Is the United States Already in an ‘International Armed Conflict’ with Syria?,” Ryan Goodman states not only that the US is engaged…
5 and Counting: Russia Vetoes No-Fly-Zone in the Security Council
Over the weekend, Russia exercised its veto—again and unsurprisingly—to block a draft Security Council resolution (S/2016/846) that would have created a no-fly-zone over the…
What the Chilcot Report Teaches Us About National Security Lawyering
This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a different Just Security editor examines the big stories from the previous week or looks…
Partition of Syria as Plan B?: The Case for Caution
This post is the latest installment of our “Monday Reflections” feature, in which a different Just Security editor examines the big stories from the previous week or looks…
Is the US Allowed to Control a Syrian Airfield?
Reports have recently emerged that the US is in control of an airfield in Syria. The details are a bit sketchy and it’s hard to determine their veracity. For their part, US officials…
The UN Security Council’s New Resolution on Women, Peace, and Security
The United Nations Security Council this week unanimously adopted a new resolution on women, peace, and security meant to improve the UN’s agenda for these issues. The new resolution (UNSCR…
The UK’s Letter to the UN Security Council Leaves Plenty of Unanswered Questions About Last Month’s RAF Drone Strike
Yesterday, I wrote a post helping to untangle some of the international law questions involved in last month’s UK drone strike in Syria that killed three individuals, two of…
U.S. Policy on the ICC Crime of Aggression Announced
At the Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law earlier this month, Professor Michael J. Matheson of George Washington University Law School chaired a fascinating…
The Iran Nuclear Deal: The Dispensability of Obligation
Day by day the debate on the Iran nuclear deal drifts further into the deep weeds. Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif last week announced his expectation that the agreement will…
Taking the Weight off of International Law: Has Syria Consented to US Airstrikes?
US airstrikes in Syria have raised significant questions about whether the US actions violate international law. That controversy would evaporate if Syria took a path of consenting,…
Venezuela Gains a Seat on the UN Security Council
This morning, the United Nations General Assembly held elections for five of its ten non-permanent Security Council seats for the 2015-2016 term. Perhaps the most interesting aspect…
It’s Time to do Something About Syria’s Other Chemical Weapons
With all eyes on ISIS, concerns about Syria’s chemical weapons program have faded from public view. But recent confirmation of the use of chlorine gas in Syria and the discovery…