Nearly eighty years after the adoption of the United Nations Charter, the prohibition of the use of force remains one of the cornerstones of the international legal order, yet also one of its most contested rules. Contemporary conflicts, technological developments, and evolving state practice continue to test the limits, coherence, and legitimacy of the jus ad bellum regime. Regulating the Use of Force in International Law: Principles, Perspectives and Challenges brings together leading scholars and practitioners to reassess the foundations, operation, and future trajectory of international law governing the resort to force.
The volume offers both doctrinal clarity and critical reflection. It firstly revisits the normative character of the prohibition of force, examining its status as a foundational and potentially peremptory rule of international law. It then provides a systematic analysis of established exceptions, including individual and collective self-defence, collective security under the United Nations system, and controversial justifications beyond the UN Charter framework, such as intervention by invitation and humanitarian intervention. The final part addresses emerging and recurring challenges that increasingly shape contemporary debates, including the role of non-state actors, modern mercenarism, cyber operations, and technological developments affecting the regulation of force.
Combining conceptual analysis with practice-oriented perspectives, the book reflects insights generated through international academic and practitioner dialogue. It presents a coherent, structured examination. This work serves as an essential resource for scholars, students, and practitioners seeking to understand how the law on the use of force is adapting to geopolitical transformation while continuing to shape the international legal order.
