International Law

This policy paper examines digital colonialism as a defining structural challenge of the twenty-first century and argues for the urgent pursuit of digital sovereignty in the Global South. While digitalization holds immense potential to foster inclusion and bridge development gaps, current dynamics reproduce historical patterns of dependency: data is extracted from Southern populations, routed through infrastructures owned by Northern corporations, processed by algorithms trained on ...

This paper argues that the Middle East has become the crucible of twenty-first-century imperial politics, exposing the collapse of legal universality and the resurgence of coercive empire. Through the archetypes of Hammurabi and Nebuchadnezzar, it analyzes how states invoke law rhetorically while practicing domination through siege, spectacle, and exclusion.The United States, China, Türkiye, Israel, Iran, the European Union, and the Gulf monarchies all oscillate between Hammurabian ...

The multilateral, rule-based trading system underpinned by the World Trade Organization (WTO) has been undermined by the unilateral imposition of U.S. tariffs. Crucially, the foundational principle of non-discrimination among WTO members has been abandoned. While many countries have attempted to negotiate with the U.S. to resolve tariff disputes, they have simultaneously sought to deepen trade ties with each other through plurilateral and regi ...

The International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court play key roles in upholding international law but face criticism over selective enforcement. The ICJ’s reliance on state consent and UN Security Council enforcement often weakens its impact, while the ICC’s jurisdictional limits and selective prosecutions raise concerns about equity. Contrasting global responses to similar rulings reveal geopolitical influences. The study underscores the need for institutional r ...

This Policy Brief explores the evolving role of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in preventing crimes against humanity and in contributing to post-conflict reconstruction. Established to deter atrocities and ensure accountability for the gravest offences, the ICC is a testament to the international community’s aspiration for a rules-based order. Despite structural limitations — from its dependence on state cooperation to jurisdictio ...

Over the past 50 years, international law relevant to the Sahara Issue has evolved significantly. Yet, even recent developments, such as a decision by the EU court and a proposal by the Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy to partition the Saharan provinces, have not adequately accounted for these advancements. Actions by a state that may not have been scrutinized in 1975 could now face condemnation under contemporary legal standards. Notably, the right to self-determination must not ...

As the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea marks forty years since its entry into force, questions persist about its success in delivering equitable access to seabed resources beyond national jurisdictions for developing countries. Part XI of the Convention, which introduced the revolutionary concept of the Common Heritage of Mankind, promised to level the playing field. Yet, the compromises made during negotiations—delaying its implementation by 12 years—have left that ...

يأتــي اعتمــاد مجلــس الأمــن التابــع للأمــم المتحــدة القــرار 2703 فــي 27 أكتوبــر (2023) بشــأن قضيــة الصحـراء المغربيـة فـي سـياق إقليمـي يتسـم باسـتمرار التوتـر بيـن المغـرب والجزائـر ومواصلـة البوليزاريـو لانتهاكاتهـا لوقـف إطلاق النـار التـي سـجلت تصعيـدًا غيـر مسـبوق، فـي ليلـة 29−28 أكتوبـر، باسـتهداف مدينـة السـمارة، ممـا أدى إلـى وقـوع ضحايـا. كمـا ينـدرج اتخـاذ هـذا القـرار الجديـد فـي بيئـة دوليـة منهمكة فـي الأحـداث المأسـاوية فـي قطـاع غـزة التـي طغـت علـى الحـرب ...

L’adoption par le Conseil de sécurité de l’Onu, le 27 octobre 2023, de la résolution 2703 (2023) sur la question du Sahara marocain, est intervenue dans un contexte régional marqué par la persistance de la tension entre le Maroc et l’Algérie et la poursuite par le polisario des violations du cessez-le-feu qui ont enregistré une escalade sans précédent, dans la nuit du 28 au 29 octobre, par le ciblage de la ville de Smara, faisant des victimes. L’adoption de cette nouvelle r ...

Adoption by UN Security Council on October 27, 2023 of resolution 2703 (2023) on the question of the Moroccan Sahara took place amidst a regional context of persistent tension between Morocco and Algeria, and repeated ceasefire violations by the Polisario, culminating in unprecedented escalation on the night of October 28-29, targeting the town of Smara, and leading to casualties. The new resolution was passed when international attention focused on the tragic events in Gaza, oversh ...

Tea for two was planned in a friend’s house in California’s Beverly Hills, but, surprise, we were joined by one of the great futurist of America, a science fiction master, who turned “Fahrenheit 451” into a bestseller and himself into an admired visionary - Ray Bradbury. Bradbury who? Time is erasing memories, even of great minds - we met in the 80s at Harold Nebenzal, the producer (Cabaret) and author (Café Berlin) whose father produced German  film classics as “M” (1931) and ...

Artificial intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in our daily lives. Having experienced considerable growth in recent years, artificial intelligence corresponds to technologies capable of processing hybrid sources, particularly unstructured data. Complex tasks are thus delegated to increasingly autonomous technological processes, capable of driving economic and social development. In current African society, AI is becoming more popular and seeking to cover all ...

La création, par l’ONU, en 2006, du Conseil des droits de l’Homme (CDH) et la mise en place, une année après, de l'Examen périodique universel (EPU), ont constitué une avancée significative dans le processus de promotion de la protection des droits de l'Homme dans le monde. Désormais, et sans aucune distinction, tous les États sont régulièrement assujettis à cet examen qui couvre l’ensemble des droits individuels et collectifs ainsi que les libertés fondamentales consacrés par les I ...

After decades of globalization and integration, the world seems to be fragmenting again, epitomized best, perhaps, by the return of geopolitical crisis, protectionism, unilateral sanctions, treaty withdrawals, and even military and economic coercion. Designed to foster cooperation among states, the multilateral system put in place after the Second World War grew quickly to encompass economic development, international security, global health, human rights, and environmental issues. ...