International Law in Brief


International Law in Brief (ILIB) is a forum that provides updates on current developments in international law from the editors of ASIL's International Legal Materials.
| By: Brianne Blain : February 04, 2026 |

Photo by Patrick Gruban (CC BY-SA 2.0)

 

On December 18, 2025, the eightieth session of the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution on Improving the Coordination of Efforts Against Trafficking in Persons. The resolution strongly condemned human trafficking, particularly of women and children. The...


| By: Özge Karsu : February 04, 2026 |

Image generated by AI

 

On January 30, 2026, the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) announced the commencement of an arbitration between the Republic of Rwanda and the United Kingdom under the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and...


| By: Özge Karsu : January 30, 2026 |

Photo by Eric Bridiers (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)

 

On January 20, 2025, the President of the United States issued an Executive Order announcing the United States’ intent to withdraw from the World Health Organization (WHO).

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| By: Özge Karsu : January 30, 2026 |

On January 17, 2026, the Agreement under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (“BBNJ Agreement”) entered into force, becoming legally binding for the states that have ratified it.

 

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| By: Brianne Blain : January 22, 2026 |

Photo by Chris Olszewski (CC BY-SA 4.0)

 

On December 6, 2025, Australia imposed financial sanctions and travel bans on senior officials of Afghanistan’s Taliban government in response to the country’s declining human rights situation that has targeted women, girls, and minority groups. The sanctions include travel...


| By: Brianne Blain : January 22, 2026 |

Photo by Tony Webster (CC BY 2.0)

The Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has introduced a new Policy on Addressing Environmental Damage Through the Rome Statute, in December 2025. Under this Policy, the ICC can investigate and prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression when these crimes cause or result in serious harm to...


| By: Brianne Blain : January 22, 2026 |

Photo by Medhus (CC BY 2.0)

 

On December 18, 2025 UN Human Rights Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) published a report documenting killings, sexual violence, torture, and abductions of civilians during a three-day assault on the Zamzam internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in North Darfur, Sudan. The attack...


| By: Özge Karsu : January 22, 2026 |

On December 2, 2025, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) adopted a decision under its Early Warning and Urgent Action Procedure concerning the Chagos Archipelago and the rights of the Chagossian people. CERD recalled the forced eviction and displacement of the Chagossian population from the Chagos Archipelago in the 1960s for the establishment of a military base on Diego Garcia.

The decision addresses the bilateral agreement signed on May 22, 2025 between the...


| By: Özge Karsu : January 13, 2026 |

Photo by OSeveno (CC BY-SA 4.0)

 

On December 3, 2025, the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued its Policy on Cyber-Enabled Crimes under the Rome Statute. This marks the first major policy response by an international prosecuting authority to the impact of new...


| By: Özge Karsu : January 13, 2026 |

Image generated by AI

 

On December 11, 2025, the World Bank published “World Development Report 2025: Standards for Development.” The Report provides a comprehensive assessment of standards and their role in accelerating economic development. It highlights the growing importance of technical and regulatory...