In 1899, at the First Hague Peace Conference in the Netherlands, a group of countries – exhausted by a century of war – established the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA). They were in pursuit of a future where differences would be resolved by international law rather than armed conflict. The ornate Peace Palace that was built in The Hague to house the PCA was completed in 1913, just one year before the outbreak of the First World War. In situations as diverse as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or the Israel-Hamas conflict, the once-elite language of international law has become popularized as both diplomats and activists take sides. Today, a world order based on respect for international law can no longer be considered a desirable but distant utopia; it is now a matter of our common survival.

Source: International New York Times August 05, 2024 21:57 UTC