Editorial: Relevance of international law

Notes

• International law is defined by rules and legal principles based on consensus, rather than power alone.
• UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated in July 2026 that international law is under pressure but will prevail.
• States continue to justify actions using international law (e.g., UN Charter, sovereignty, self-defence), indicating its continued relevance as a framework for discourse.
• Scholars Abram Chayes and Antonia Handler Chayes argue compliance is driven by dynamics within treaty regimes rather than just sanctions.
• International law facilitates daily global operations, including aviation, maritime trade, diplomacy, and individual travel (passports, refugees).
• Recent multilateral agreements like the High Seas Treaty and the UN Convention against Cybercrime demonstrate ongoing state reliance on international legal frameworks.
• The Indus Waters Treaty serves as an example of how legal frameworks sustain engagement between states even during political discord.
• International law provides a mechanism for the Global South to protect interests through negotiation rather than relying solely on power.
• Structural limitations exist within the UN Security Council and the broader legal order, reflecting unequal power structures.
• Crises in international law historically lead to adaptation and renewal rather than the system's collapse.

Part of a longer story

This is day 1 of 2 in Relevance and Efficacy of International Law, which has been running since 11 August 2026. Reading it whole is usually worth more than reading today alone — the exam asks how something developed.

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