The invasion of Ukraine has prompted many questions: Is this fair? Is this just? Is this legal?
This video examines our international rule-based order to find the answers. We start with the backbone of our international legal order - the United Nations. We examine the prohibition of the use of force under the UN Charter and its exceptions. Then, we turn to what the UN Security Council and General Assembly have been doing to respond to the invasion.
Next, we turn to another body of the UN - the International Court of Justice. Ukraine has initiated proceedings against Russia in 2017 and 2022. In its most recent application, Ukraine "emphatically denies" that it has committed genocide in Luhansk and Donetsk regions of Ukraine, which Russia gave as a justification for its military operation.
Then, we examine the decisions taken by the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) with respect to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Finally, we examine NATO - including its founding treaty the North Atlantic Treaty and the most recent consultations that took place to address the invasion.
I hope that the video spreads knowledge about the hard-won rights guaranteed under our international legal order. Although not perfect, this order grants rights to individuals everywhere. We must remind our representatives that their actions are subject to the rules of international law. States must uphold human rights and humanitarian law, prevent and punish international crimes, and cooperate to achieve genuine and inclusive diplomatic solutions to common concerns.
It is in moments like this that we must spread knowledge of international law.
