Articles for category: World

Nicht um jeden Preis

Die Kriege in der Ukraine und im Nahen Osten prägen unsere Gegenwart. Für viele symbolisieren sie die Auflösung der internationalen Rechtsordnung. Angesichts der Handlungsunfähigkeit des UN Sicherheitsrates erstarkt dabei das Selbstverteidigungsrecht nach Art. 51 SVN mit seinen Schranken der Erforderlichkeit und Verhältnismäßigkeit zum entscheidenden Maßstab für die Einhegung militärischer Gewalt. Doch kann der unbestimmte Verhältnismäßigkeitsgrundsatz in einem dezentralen Rechtssystem überhaupt Steuerungswirkung entfalten?

23. Januar 2025

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Verhältnismäßigkeit als allgemeines Prinzip des Völkerrechts

Im Israel-Gaza-Konflikt nach dem Terrorangriff der Hamas vom 7. Oktober 2023 hat sich die Frage der Verhältnismäßigkeit vielfach gestellt. Aber auch im Blick auf die (zweite) Amtseinführung von Donald J. Trump als US-Präsident am 20. Januar 2025 und die von ihm angekündigten massiven Zollerhöhungen in Richtung Kanada, Mexiko und China drängt sich die Frage auf, ob es dafür von Völkerrechts wegen Verhältnismäßigkeitsgrenzen gibt. Ob Verhältnismäßigkeit ein allgemeines Prinzip des Völkerrechts darstellt, das sich hier fruchtbar machen ließe, ist jedoch umstritten.

23. Januar 2025

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Das Zollschwert des Präsidenten

Die feierliche Amtseinführung von Donald J. Trump am 20. Januar 2025 wird weitreichende geopolitische Auswirkungen haben. Darauf deuten alle Aussagen von Präsident Trump während seines Wahlkampfes, nach seinem  Wahlsieg sowie auch die Erfahrungen mit seiner ersten Amtszeit von 2017 bis 2021 hin. Neben allen globalen politischen Herausforderungen, die mit der erneuten Amtszeit von Trump verbunden sein werden, wird auch die internationale Rechtsordnung Belastungsproben ausgesetzt sein. An seiner angekündigten Zollpolitik zeigt sich dies deutlich.

17. Dezember 2024

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The Return of Not-Quite „Phantom Experts“?

On Monday, 2 December 2024, the much anticipated hearing began in the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change advisory proceedings before the International Court of Justice. Less than a week before the start of the hearing, the Court issued a brief and unusual press release about a meeting that it held with scientists from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The Court’s decision to meet privately with the scientists raises questions about the Court’s procedures and its approach to evidence. Above all, it is unclear why the Court decided to consult with the IPCC scientists in a closed meeting rather than eliciting testimony from these individuals as part of the formal, public hearing.

3. Dezember 2024

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The Rule of Law and the United Nations Summit of the Future

Is the rule of law an unwritten principle for the UN system? Today, rule of law language has been gradually replaced by a new paradigm of ‘inclusivity’. The rule of law debate within the UN was centered on a thick understanding of the rule of law, highlighting substantive values rather than procedural guarantees. Absent a consented definition of the term, the rule of law was never considered to be an unwritten principle for the UN system.

10. Juli 2024

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‘Relevant Rules’ as Normative Environment

On 21 May 2024, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivered its much anticipated Advisory Opinion on Climate Change. This post zeroes in on one particular interpretative issue, and its wider ramifications for the development of international law, namely the Tribunal’s approach to Article 31(3)(c) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (VCLT) (which enshrines the principle of systemic integration) in connection with the interpretation of UNCLOS. Although ITLOS did not elaborate in detail on its approach, as can be seen from its entire analysis, the Tribunal has demonstrated a clear and principled choice with respect to the content and application of Article 31(3)(c) VCLT and its customary counterpart.

16. Juni 2024

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More than a Sink

The difference between treating the oceans as a mere sink versus protecting them as a vital part of the environment has important implications under international law. These implications come to the fore when considering the relationship between the UNCLOS on the one hand and the UNFCCC and its Paris Agreement on the other. While the latter treaties in no way legitimize pollution of the marine environment, their focus on oceans as sinks could be misinterpreted to deprive UNCLOS and the customary rules it codifies of a meaningful role in addressing climate change.

7. Juni 2024

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Why Climate Science Matters for International Law

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) issued an advisory opinion on May 21, 2024 in response to a request submitted by the Commission of Small Island States on Climate Change and International Law (COSIS). While various aspects of the advisory opinion have already been discussed in this joint blog symposium, this post focuses on a feature of the opinion that has so far received little emphasis: the strong role of science. The scientific evidence presented by the tribunal provides a solid basis for its conclusions on State obligations to prevent, reduce, and control climate pollution.

6. Juni 2024

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ITLOS and the importance of (getting) external rules (right) in interpreting UNCLOS

The Advisory Opinion handed down by the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) on 21 May 2024 is truly remarkable. However, while ITLOS succeeded in noting the relevance of many other treaties and customary norms in international law, it fell short of a comprehensive and consistent approach to determining which other treaty norms would be relevant to the interpretation of UNCLOS and how. Establishing coherence by “taking into account external rules” means more than a general reference or a pick-and-choose approach to some relevant norms in an external treaty, while not to others.

29. Mai 2024

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A Small But Important Step

While no advisory opinion can solve the climate crisis, the ITLOS decision does provide an important push for action, both globally and at the national level. It cleared the way for the ICJ’s forthcoming opinion on climate change, demonstrating how a clear and solid line of arguments can be developed. Although the ICJ may decide differently due to variations in the questions posed and treaties interpreted, it is unlikely to diverge significantly from the ITLOS narrative or reject its findings on related topics.

27. Mai 2024

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