Treaty Negotiations

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Two Weeks in Review: 13—24 July 2026

The last fortnight has seen commentators focus primarily on conflict, climate, and immigration. A mini-symposium has ranged over a number of legal questions raised by a potential Russia-Ukraine peace treaty: from  VCLT rules on treaty validity and security guarantees, to free economic zones and the question of the reconstruction of Ukraine through seized assets of the Russian Central Bank. The Iran War continues to provoke deep reflection: while US attacks on neutral commercial vessels expose a fundamental tension between the Law of Naval Warfare and the UN Charter; the uneven international reaction to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran, and Iran’s response, force us to think about what state silence can—and cannot—tell us about the law. Climate obligations for states and corporations continue apace, as Paris Judicial Court’s judgment against TotalEnergies marks a significant advance in corporate climate litigation, and advisory opinions by the ICJ and IACtHR potentially open the way for a customary obligation on states to “actively pursue” climate science. The sharpening of EU immigration policy through the Return Directive and the Chișinău Declaration remain…

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Red lines in a grey zone: the validity of a Russia-Ukraine peace treaty under international law

While peace still appears remote, the prospect of a negotiated end to the war in Ukraine raises difficult questions concerning the international law governing inter-state peace treaties. The unlawfulness of Russia’s use of force and the peace plans proposed to date point to issues of validity, particularly under Articles 46, 52 and 53 of the Vienna Convention…

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A peace treaty for Ukraine: Mini-symposium on international legal issues

In the four years since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the prospects of a negotiated peace settlement have waxed but mostly waned. But the possibility of an agreement has been an ongoing focus for international lawyers. This is primarily because Russia has demanded territorial concessions from Ukraine that appear at odds with…

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The Award in Rwanda versus the United Kingdom: The PCA’s Interpretation of VCLT, Article 13

The PCA’s Award in the arbitration between Rwanda and the United Kingdom, decided on May 15, 2026, was released on June 1, 20226. The arbitration related to the decision by the incoming Labour Government to cancel the Agreement between the United Kingdom and Rwanda (formally the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Rwanda and the…

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Can the Living Instrument Doctrine Be Reversed?

On 15 May 2026, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe (CoE), meeting at ministerial level in Chişinău (Republic of Moldova), adopted a declaration in which the European Court of Human Rights (‘the Court’) was called upon to recalibrate the standard of human rights protection in the field of migration policy. Much has been written…

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