On 21 May 2026, the International Court of Justice gave its advisory opinion on the Right to Strike under ILO Convention No. 87. By ten votes to four, the Court concluded that the right to strike of workers and their organisations is protected under ILO Convention No. 87 – one of the ILO’s eight
EJIL: Talk!
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Is Deep-Seabed Mining Compatible with the Human Right to a Healthy Environment? Insights from the ICJ and IACtHR Climate Change Advisory Opinions
In 2025, following the 2024 advisory opinion (AO) of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on Climate Change (here), the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACtHR) issued their AOs on Climate Change (here and here, respectively). These historic AOs have generated…
Two Weeks in Review: 18—29 May 2026
China turns on tariff-free trade for Africa, while Iran turns off the internet. The ICJ’s advisory jurisdiction is back in focus, with the Right to Strike Advisory Opinion handed down a day after the UN General Assembly’s resolution on the Climate Change Opinion. Cruise ships raise complex questions for the international laws governing public health emergencies, while…
Announcements: CfA International Law of the Sea Conference; Introduction to PIL Summer School; Peace Operations International Law Summer School; CfP Works-In-Progress Workshop; Regional Energy Interconnectivity and Sustainable Development
By Mary Guest
1. Call for Abstracts: Postgraduate Research Conference on the International Law of the Sea. The International Law Department, Geneva Graduate Institute is inviting submissions for a postgraduate research conference dedicated to the international law of the sea, taking place on 30 September 2026. This conference offers a platform for PhD candidates and early-career researchers to…
Russia, Israel, and the Trade in Stolen Ukrainian Grain: A Legal Analysis
By Philipp Kehl
In April 2026, relations between Ukraine and Israel were shaken by a considerable diplomatic crisis. In contrast to Ukraine’s recent quarrel with Hungary over the (likely illegal) interception and seizure of a Ukrainian money transport by Hungarian authorities, this dispute was not preceded by years of deteriorating bilateral relations. Since the beginning of…
Treaty Interpretation in the ICJ’s Opinion on the Right to Strike
By Julian Arato
On 21 May 2026, the International Court of Justice delivered its advisory opinion on the Right to Strike under ILO Convention No. 87. The question before the Court was whether the Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise Convention, 1948 (Convention No. 87) protects workers’ right to strike. The core of…
We Need A Global War Powers Resolution
The times has come to do something about the scourge of war.
It is shocking that, in the twenty-first century, the interacting of the minds of two men could cause a world war affecting all human beings everywhere. Despite the notoriously impulsive nature of their personalities, much analysed by commentators, these two men could have…
Denial of Environmental Justice: Would a Bar on Climate Tort Litigation Be Inconsistent with New Zealand’s International Obligations?
Like other countries that pride themselves on upholding the rule of law, New Zealand has seen many climate change cases decided by its courts. The most significant is the 2024 judgment of the Supreme Court in Smith v Fonterra. The country’s highest court unanimously allowed an appeal against the lower courts’ decisions to…
Domestic Courts and the States’ Obligation to Prevent Genocide and Serious Violations of IHL: The Brussels Court of Appeal’s Interlocutory Judgment of 16 March 2026
On 16 March 2026, the Brussels Court of Appeal (hereafter, the “Court”) issued an interlocutory judgment in summary proceedings (référé) concerning the alleged failure of the Belgian State to comply with its international obligations in relation to the risk of genocide and serious violations of international humanitarian law (“IHL”) in Gaza (hereafter, the…
From the Diamond Princess to the MV Hondius: International Law Still Lacks Clear Rules for Public Health Emergencies on Cruise Ships
Despite the lessons of COVID-19, the treatment of cruise ships during public health emergencies remains governed by fragmented and incomplete rules under international law. Recent treaty reform efforts failed to resolve the structural gaps exposed both in 2020 and now again in 2026.
In April and May 2026, the expedition cruise vessel MV Hondius became…