On 21 May 2026, the International Court of Justice delivered its advisory opinion on the Right to Strike under ILO Convention No. 87. The question before the Court was whether the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right
EJIL: Talk!
EJIL: Talk! is published by the European Journal of International Law and focuses on contemporary issues in international law. The blog covers topics such as the legal frameworks governing military interventions and coups, developments in human rights law including children’s rights and education, challenges in prosecuting war crimes and mercenary activities, and theoretical reflections on the nature and authority of international law. It also addresses less explored areas like the application of international humanitarian law to maritime contexts. The blog engages with current events and scholarly debates to analyze the interpretation and application of international legal principles in diverse and evolving situations.
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We Need A Global War Powers Resolution
The times has come to do something about the scourge of war.
It is shocking that, in the twenty-first century, the interacting of the minds of two men could cause a world war affecting all human beings everywhere. Despite the…
Denial of Environmental Justice: Would a Bar on Climate Tort Litigation Be Inconsistent with New Zealand’s International Obligations?
Like other countries that pride themselves on upholding the rule of law, New Zealand has seen many climate change cases decided by its courts. The most significant is the 2024 judgment of the Supreme Court in Smith v Fonterra…
Domestic Courts and the States’ Obligation to Prevent Genocide and Serious Violations of IHL: The Brussels Court of Appeal’s Interlocutory Judgment of 16 March 2026
On 16 March 2026, the Brussels Court of Appeal (hereafter, the “Court”) issued an interlocutory judgment in summary proceedings (référé) concerning the alleged failure of the Belgian State to comply with its international obligations in relation to the…
From the Diamond Princess to the MV Hondius: International Law Still Lacks Clear Rules for Public Health Emergencies on Cruise Ships
Despite the lessons of COVID-19, the treatment of cruise ships during public health emergencies remains governed by fragmented and incomplete rules under international law. Recent treaty reform efforts failed to resolve the structural gaps exposed both in 2020 and now…
Announcements: Second World Approaches to International Law Webinar; CfP Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law; CfP Selection and Standards in International Adjudication; Olomouc Weapons Law Course; Contemporary Challenges in International Law Conference; CfP What are the Boundaries of ‘the Human’ in Human Rights; Research Prize in ICL of the International Nuremberg Principles Academy
By Mary Guest
1. Webinar on Second World Approaches to International Law. Exploring international law as a complex set of practices and ideas shaped by dominant discourses and their blind spots, ‘Second Worldness’ in SWAIL functions as an analytical, diagnostic, and dialogical device
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The ICJ Advisory Opinion on Climate Change: What It Means for the Convention on Biological Diversity
This week’s General Assembly’s resolution welcoming the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change provides significant guidance. It calls upon all States to ‘comply with their respective obligations under international law to…
From Opinion to Action: The General Assembly Votes to Operationalize the ICJ’s Climate Advisory Opinion
On 20 May 2026, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution A/80/L.65 welcoming the Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change. The draft, tabled by Vanuatu and a…
From Option to Methodology: The ILC’s Missed Opportunity on Judicial Precedent
The International Law Commission (ILC), during its seventy-sixth session in May 2025, provisionally adopted the first-reading draft conclusions on Subsidiary means for the determination of rules of international law. Among these, Draft Conclusion 6 [7] addresses the use of…
Sovereign Darkness: Iran’s Internet Blackout and the Four-Body Problem of International Law
By 21 April 2026, Iran’s internet blackout had entered its fifty-third consecutive day, the longest nationwide internet disruption ever recorded (NetBlocks; IODA Iran shutdown report). Connectivity remained at approximately one per cent of pre-war levels. The shutdown…