UNFOLD ZERO Newsletter: Upholding law over power in a turbulent world

Posted: 16th April 2025

Upholding law over power in a turbulent world
Special issue on LAW not War

 

Contents

1. Introduction: Upholding law over power
2. LAW not War and the ImPACT Coalition for International Judicial Institutions
3. LAW not War campaign update
   a)  5th Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide
   b)  UN Human Rights Council
   c)  150th IPU Assembly
4. ICJ update
5. Get involved – Upcoming events
6. Acknowledgement – Global Challenges Foundation

UNFOLD ZERO is proud to be a co-host of the Legal Alternatives to War (LAW not War) campaign, along with Citizens for Global Solutions, World Future Council, World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy and others. The campaign promotes universal jurisdiction and enhanced effectiveness of the International Court of Justice.

In this UNFOLD ZERO update we highlight the importance of the LAW not War campaign, and we report on campaign updates and recent developments/cases in the International Court of Justice.
  

1. Upholding law over power

The international order is being upended by autocratic leaders in the United States, Russia and other countries who are attacking international institutions and are trying to hold themselves above the rule of law.

The response from democratic countries, policy makers and civil society should not be resignation to an erosion of the law, but the opposite – a reaffirming of the importance of law and an increased support for key institutions such as the United Nations, International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

This point is made eloquently by Anna Möller-Loswick, Head of Common Security at the Global Challenges Foundation, in an op-ed published on April 2 entitled Who Makes the Rules? Defending Law Over Power in a Fracturing World.

Möller-Loswick argues that “Despite its imperfections, the post-World War II international system has played a critical role in maintaining relative global stability. The alternative — a world marked by fragmentation, disrespect for international law and unchecked militarisation — poses a far greater risk of conflict and instability.”

The good news is that most of Europe, and a majority of other countries around the world, are heeding this call. Support for diplomacy, international law, the United Nations, International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court remains high, despite the attacks from the United States, Russia and others.

(See also Acknowledgement to the Global Challenges Foundation below
)

2. LAW not War and the ImPACT Coalition for International Judicial Organizations

LAW not War, which focuses on the role of the International Court of Justice, works in close cooperation with the ImPACT Coalition for International Judicial Organizations, which was established at the UN Civil Society Conference in May 2024.

The ImPACT Coalition builds cooperation amongst civil society, the legal community and like-minded countries in support of international and regional judicial organizations including the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court, European Court of Justice, Latin American Court of Human Rights, and others. It also is engaged in advancing additional judicial organizations including in the campaign for an International Anti-Corruption Court.

For more information contact Rebecca Shoot, Executive Director of Citizens for Global Solutions.

3. LAW not War campaign update
a) 5th Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide

Rebecca Shoot, Executive Director of Citizens for Global Solutions and Co-convener of the LAW not War campaign opened the 5th Global Forum Against the Crime of Genocide in Yerevan, Armenia, championing international judicial institutions, promoting Armenia’s recognition of ICJ compulsory jurisdiction, and introducing Ararat Mirzoyan, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia. Armenia has recently ratified the Rome Statute for the International Criminal Court, but has not yet accepted compulsory jurisdiction of the ICJ.

Other speakers at the event included Egils Levits, Former President of the Republic of Latvia; Dr Fernand de Varennes, Former United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minority Issues, Luis Moreno Ocampo, founder Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court; Vladimir Vardanyan, Chief Specialist at the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Armenia; Anahit Manasyan, the Human Rights Defender of the Republic of Armenia, Dr. Edita Gzoyan, Director of the Armenian Genocide Museum-Institute Foundation and more…

3. LAW not War campaign update

b) UN Human Rights Council – Nuclear war prevention and the ICJ

On March 27, 2025, Alyn Ware, Program Director for the World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy and Co-convener of the LAW not War campaign chaired an event at the United Nations in Geneva on Human Rights and Nuclear Weapons. It was attended by a mix of government and civil society delegations attending the 58th Session of the Human Rights Council.

Speakers at the event highlighted obligations under international human rights law to refrain from the threat or use of nuclear weapons, pursue negotiations to achieve comprehensive nuclear disarmament under strict and effective international control, and provide adequate reparation to victims whose right to life has been or is being adversely affected by the testing or use of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction.

Ayleen Roy, representing Youth Fusion a participating organization in LAW not War, reflected that nuclear armed and allied states currently rely on nuclear deterrence to prevent aggression or a nuclear attack against them. She argued that the rule of law and the role of the International Court of Justice need to be enhanced in order to build confidence amongst the nuclear armed and allied states to replace nuclear deterrence with common security. In his closing comments, Alyn Ware focused on the role and successes of the ICJ in building security and resolving international conflicts, and the value of building universal acceptance of its jurisdiction to enhance this role.
  

Submission on the nuclear weapons policies of Belarus

WFM-IGP and Youth Fusion were also amongst the co-sponsors of a submission to the Human Rights Council on the nuclear weapons policies of Belarus, which has been prepared as part of the 50th Session of the Universal Periodic Review. Amongst the recommendations in the submission are for Belarus to: reinstate the commitment in Article 18 of its constitution affirming Belarus as a nuclear-weapon-free country; return to Russia all nuclear weapons on its territory; and replace reliance on nuclear deterrence with common security approaches including full adherence to the UN Charter and acceptance of compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice.

WFM-IGP, Youth Fusion and others are making similar recommendations in submissions relating to the policies of other nuclear armed and allied states, as the turn of these States arises for review in the UPR cycle (See Nuclear weapons an UN Human Rights bodies). Panelists at the UN event ‘Human Rights and Nuclear Weapons’. From left to right: Ayleen Roy (Youth Fusion), Neshan Gunasekera (World Future Council), Alyn Ware (World Federalist Movement-Institute for Global Policy), H.E. Yerlan Alimbayev (Ambassador of Kazakhstan to the UN), H.E. Doreen deBrum (Ambassador of the Marshall Islands to the UN) and Raphael Pangalangan (Legal Adviser, UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights).

3. LAW not War campaign update
c) 150th Inter-Parliamentary Union Assembly

740 Members of Parliament from 130 countries met in Tashkent, Uzbekistan from April 5-9, 2025 for the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Alyn Ware, Co-convener of the LAW not War campaign, was invited to speak at the assembly on Common Security, nuclear war prevention and disarmament in a turbulent world. 

Mr Ware used the opportunity to highlight the crucial role of the International Court of Justice in building Common Security, and called on parliamentarians to facilitate their country’s acceptance of compulsory jurisdiction of the International Court of Justiceif their country has not already done so. Alyn Ware speaking at the 150th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Tashkent.

4. ICJ Update
A short update on developments and cases currently lodged in the International Court of Justice.

 a) Judge Iwasawa Yuji elected as ICJ President

On 3 March 2025, Judge Iwasawa Yuji (Japan) was elected to be President of the International Court of Justice following the resignation of Judge Nawaf Salam from the Court on 14 January. Judge Salam resigned in order to take up the position of  Prime Minister of Jordan. Judge Iwasawa’s term as President will expire on Feb 5, 2027.

 b) Public hearings held on the Sudan v UAE case on genocide;

On March 5, 2025, Sudan instituted proceedings in the ICJ against the United Arab Emirates under the Genocide Convention, and requested provisional measures. Public hearings on the request for provisional measures were held on April 10 at the Peace Palace. The Court’s decision on provisional measures will be delivered at a public sitting, the date of which will be announced in the near future. 

 c) Court announces procedure regarding Russian counter claims against Ukraine in their genocide case

On January 31, the ICJ announced the procedure regarding the counter claims Russia submitted in November 2024 in the case concerning Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation). Ukraine subsequently objected to the admissibility of the counter-claims. The Court has invited Ukraine and the Russian Federation to submit their views on the matter by 20 May 2025 and 22 September 2025, respectively.

 d) April 28 set for public hearings in the ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of Israel regarding UN activities in occupied Palestine

On April 9 the Court announced the date of April 28 and the schedule for public hearings in the ICJ Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of Israel regarding UN activities in occupied Palestine. Forty States and four international organizations have expressed their intention to participate in the oral proceedings before the Court.

5. Get involved – Join LAW not War and Upcoming events

Organizations can become involved by joining LAW not War as a participating organization. Over 90 organmizations have already done so. See LAW not War for the current list of participating organizations – scroll down the page.

Individuals can become involved by participating in our online, in-person or hybrid events. Our next hybrid event will be in New York on May 5. Details to follow in the next newsletter.

Acknowledgement to Global Challenges Foundation

UNFOLD ZERO and the other partners in the LAW not War campaign thank the Global Challenges Foundation for support for the campaign. The Foundation is dedicated to raising awareness of global catastrophic risks and strengthening global governance to address them.