Now Reading: International law not dead despite wars, says analysis
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International law not dead despite wars, says analysis
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asserted that international law is under pressure but will prevail, even as conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza strain the system. The Hindu reports that the very fact…
The Story in Brief
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has asserted that international law is under pressure but will prevail, even as conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza strain the system. The Hindu reports that the very fact states justify their actions using international law, invoking the UN Charter, sovereignty, and self-defence, shows it remains relevant. Compliance often goes unnoticed: aviation, maritime traffic, diplomacy, and trade all function daily because nations honour thousands of legal obligations.
International law also shapes peace efforts, from ceasefire arrangements to treaties. India's Indus Waters Treaty is cited as proof that legal frameworks enable engagement even amid political discord. For the Global South, a rules-based order offers a chance to advance interests through negotiation rather than raw power.
The Indian Opinion
The lazy narrative that 'international law is dying' ignores how much of global life depends on it every single day. From passports to pandemic treaties, the system quietly works. Those who declare it dead because of violations in Gaza or Ukraine miss the point: violations provoke legal arguments, not abandonment. The real test will be whether the new High Seas Treaty and cybercrime convention get the ratifications needed to become binding. That will show if the will to cooperate survives the noise.
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
