The search for recognised political legitimacy and legality is integral to states which take part in the international system. As Moscow’s acts of aggression continue in Ukraine, the international community has not been able to end the war, nor appropriately address its illegality. With Russia’s actions strictly going against international law, the use of legal means to lock-in the status quo has been a key part of the Russian war strategy. This blog conceptualises lawfare and contextualises its uses by Russia at the UN level.
Schlagwort: international law
Politisierung in Zeiten schwacher politischer Normen: Zum Klima-Gutachten des Internationalen Seegerichtshofs
Ende Mai legte der Internationale Seegerichtshof ein mit Spannung erwartetes Gutachten vor. Eine Gruppe kleiner Inselstaaten hatte den Seegerichtshof im Dezember 2022 angerufen, um die Frage zu klären, was die Pflichten der Vertragsstaaten des Seerechtübereinkommens für den Klimaschutz umfassen. Der Seegerichtshof kam zu dem Ergebnis, dass die Staaten verpflichtet sind, die Meeresverschmutzung zu verhindern. Auch wenn das Gutachten rechtlich nicht bindend ist, dürfte es Auswirkungen auf die weitere Entwicklung der Rechtsprechung zum Klimaschutz haben. Zugleich ist fraglich, wie groß die normative Wirkung des Gutachtens sein kann, da die über den Kern des Völkerrechts hinausgehende regelbasierten Ordnung zurzeit an Bedeutung verliert.
Israel–Gaza Beyond the Concept of Genocide: End Mass Violence Against Civilians Now
German debates about the Israel-Gaza war often get caught up in polarising terminology. This applies in particular to the dispute whether a genocide is occurring. Apart from the legal assessment currently being made by the International Court of Justice, a parallel, polemical discussion about the concept of genocide distracts from actual priorities for action. The war has already cost tens of thousands of lives, and many more Palestinians will die as a direct and indirect consequence of the war. The mass violence against civilians and the destruction of conditions of life in Gaza must end immediately – regardless of whether the legal conditions for genocide are met.
The French Arrest Warrant for Assad – Breaking New Ground in the Prosecution of Chemical Weapons Use?
On November 14, 2023, a French Magistrate Judge issued an arrest warrant for Syria´s President, Bashar al-Assad. The Court found sufficient evidence to initiate proceedings against Assad for complicity in war crimes and crimes against humanity, specifically the use of chemical weapons. Yet, as this blog post will point out, Heads of State enjoy certain immunities under international law, which the French arrest Warrant thereby violates. This warrant could, however provide a necessary impetus to re-evaluate how states view immunities.
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