International Law

The Convention against Torture contains a number of key provisions, including the prohibition of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, the obligation of states to investigate allegations of torture, and the obligation of states to provide compensation to victims of torture.

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage is a legally binding international treaty adopted by UNESCO in 2003, which aims to protect and promote intangible cultural heritage worldwide.

The Refugee Convention, adopted in 1951, is the primary international legal framework for the protection of refugees. It defines who is a refugee, sets out the rights and responsibilities of refugees and states, and establishes the principle of non-refoulement.

The Global Compact on Refugees is a non-binding declaration that sets out a framework for addressing forced migration. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2018 and aims to strengthen the international response to forced migration.

The three main pillars of the Global Compact on Refugees are responsibility sharing, refugee protection, and solutions. Responsibility sharing refers to the need for all countries to share the responsibility of protecting and assisting refugees. Refugee protection refers to the need to protect refugees from persecution and harm. Solutions refers to the need to find durable solutions for refugees, such as resettlement, local integration, or voluntary repatriation.

The UNDRIP was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007 and sets out a comprehensive framework of rights for indigenous peoples, including the right to self-determination, the right to free, prior and informed consent, and the right to participate in decision-making processes that affect their lives.

The Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage, adopted by UNESCO in 2003, provides a comprehensive framework for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage at the international level.

The 1961 Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness is the primary international legal instrument that defines statelessness and establishes a framework for preventing and reducing statelessness.

Under international law, states have a number of obligations to prevent and reduce statelessness, including the obligation to refrain from creating new cases of statelessness, to provide effective nationality laws that prevent statelessness, to facilitate the acquisition of citizenship by stateless individuals, and to protect the rights of stateless individuals.

The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights recognizes the right to development as an inalienable human right.

The human rights-based approach emphasizes that development efforts should be guided by the principles of human rights, ensuring that all individuals have the opportunity to enjoy their full range of human rights.

The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is the international court with jurisdiction over disputes related to the interpretation and application of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

Customary international law is a body of rules that have been accepted as binding by states through a consistent and uniform practice over a long period of time.

The International Court of Justice is the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. It is responsible for settling legal disputes between states and for giving advisory opinions on legal questions referred to it by authorized UN organs and specialized agencies.

The principle of non-intervention is a fundamental principle of international law that prohibits states from intervening in the internal affairs of other states.