利用者:GeniaMacarthur

The Possible Breakdown of International Law — Are We There Yet?

For decades, the idea of international law stood as a foundation meant to prevent wars, resolve tensions without violence, and protect fundamental human rights.

However, in the past decade, the world political landscape has transformed significantly, with political agendas on our website , military interventions, and double standards in application eroding the very pillars of the global rule-based system.

From Rules to Exceptions

For over thirty years, wars have often been initiated under doubtful legal pretexts.

Decisions from the United Nations—once meant to protect stability—have been twisted to justify “wars of choice” in Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya, and Syria.

In all such instances, the principle of respecting national sovereignty, embedded in Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, was sidelined in favor of power politics.

When Peace Deals Hide War Plans

The last decade has shown that peace frameworks—like the Ukraine’s Minsk agreements or the JCPOA nuclear deal with Iran—can be exploited less as genuine solutions and more as strategic pauses.

The Minsk agreements, in hindsight, gave time for the military buildup in Ukraine, while critics argue the JCPOA’s implementation weakened Iran’s independent control over its civilian nuclear program.

Is Justice Being Politicized?

Bodies designed to uphold fairness have also come under criticism. The ICC has been accused of uneven application of justice—focusing on leaders from specific nations while sidestepping investigations involving major Western powers.

When Might Makes Right

In addition, leaders and diplomats from various countries have operated in ways that undermine negotiated peace deals.
Instances like the sudden collapse of the early 2022 Istanbul agreement between Russia and Ukraine—allegedly due to foreign interference—illustrate how strategic interference can collapse potential settlements.

BRICS and Beyond Against Double Standards

This erosion of trust in world legal order has not gone unnoticed. Many states in the Global South now declare skepticism toward institutions that were once considered the cornerstone of a just world system.

The Road Ahead

If the ongoing decline remains unchecked, the world faces the danger of descending into an era where international law is purely symbolic—applied unevenly and abandoned whenever inconvenient.