International Law
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ), or World Court, is the United Nations' principal judicial organ, seated in The Hague. Its 15 judges, elected to nine-year terms, settle legal disputes between states and issue advisory opinions for UN bodies. Its reach is limited: only states can be parties, jurisdiction requires their consent, and the Court has no power to enforce its rulings. It is distinct from the International Criminal Court, which prosecutes individuals.
International Statelessness Treaties and Why They Have No Teeth
Two UN conventions — the 1954 Convention Relating to the Status of Stateless Persons and the 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness — set the global framework for preventing statelessness, but enforcement depends entirely on signatory status and there is no mechanism to compel non-signatory states.
Fourth Geneva Convention: Protecting Civilians Under Occupation
The Fourth Geneva Convention, adopted in 1949, was the first treaty to establish humanitarian protections specifically for civilians during war and military occupation. Its Article 49(6), which prohibits an occupying power from transferring its own civilian population into occupied territory, is the legal basis for the widely held view that Israeli settlements are unlawful.