International Law in Brief

On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice delivered its Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change, unanimously establishing that states have comprehensive binding obligations under multiple frameworks of international law to protect the climate system. The Court’s opinion responded to questions posed by the UN General Assembly through resolution 77/276, marking only the fifth unanimous advisory opinion in the Court’s nearly 80-year history.

In its Advisory Opinion, the Court identified specific obligations under various climate treaties,...

On July 9, 2025, the Grand Chamber of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) issued landmark decisions finding that Russia has committed grave violations of international humanitarian law in Ukraine since 2014.

The court’s rulings addressed four inter-state applications brought by Ukraine and the Netherlands. The consolidated complaints concerned violations spanning from the 2014 conflict in eastern Ukraine through Russia’s full-scale invasion beginning February 24, 2022, including the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (MH17), multiple violations of the Geneva Conventions,...

On June 30, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14311 establishing a White House Office for Special Peace Missions. The order creates a new office within the White House Office dedicated to “assist in bringing about the end of conflict and strife around the world.”

The Executive Order designates that the Office for Special Peace Missions will be headed by a Special Envoy for Peace Missions, who will be appointed directly by the President. The Special Envoy is tasked with advancing “efforts aimed at ending ongoing conflicts abroad” and will coordinate these efforts...

On June 25, 2025, the Council of Europe and Ukraine signed the “Agreement between the Council of Europe and Ukraine on the Establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine.” The move represents a significant step towards ensuring accountability for Russia’s aggression.

The Agreement followed a series of United Nations General Assembly resolutions condemning Russia’s unlawful use of force and aggression in Ukrainian territory since 2014. It also builds on efforts by the Core Group on the Establishment of a Special Tribunal, the International Centre...