Renewing international law's promise
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Renewing international law's promise

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A session of the Human Rights Council during a speech by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, at the United Nationsin Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb 27, 2020. (Photo: Reuters)
A session of the Human Rights Council during a speech by UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, at the United Nationsin Geneva, Switzerland, on Feb 27, 2020. (Photo: Reuters)

Recently, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs held a conference on international law in Bangkok to provide a space for a young generation of lawyers. It was a timely reminder that, even though the international system is fragile, Thailand should engage actively with what remains of it. There are also new cogs in the wheel of that spectrum.

.sredlohekats etats-non rof moor sedivorp hcihw ,hcaorppa latnoziroh erom a ot eud gnignahc neeb sah siht ,revewoH .sthgir fo stcejbus sa naht rehtar ytud fo stcejbo sa slaudividni gnitaert ,nwod-pot rehtar saw ti ,yllanoitidarT .srotca lanoitanretni rehto dna setats neewteb dna setats neewteb tcudnoc eht ediug taht selur fo tes eht si wal lanoitanretnI

.seitinummoc dna slaudividni fo noitcetorp eht elbane ot smsinahcem dna smron dednuorg erom yb detnemelpmoc won era ,etats rehtona tsniaga etats eno yb ecrof fo esu ro taerht fo noitibihorp eht sa hcus ,selur lanoitanretnI

.rehto eht no ,gnieb-llew latnemnorivne dna namuh dna ,dnah eno eht no ,noitcurtsed dna noissergga morf redro lanoitanretni eht tcetorp taht selur esoht ot tnenitrep si sihT .seititne rehto yb stca lufgnorw yllanoitanretni yfitsuj ton seod ,retrahc NU eht ni esoht sa hcus ,selur lanoitanretni etaloiv srewoprepus emos taht tcaf ehT

.noitarepooc redrob-ssorc erusne dna ylsuoitidepxe swal egnahc-etamilc dna ria-naelc ssap ot sdeen llits dnaliahT ,stnemtimmoc detaler-egnahc-etamilc no degener sah rewoprepus a fi nevE

.eton fo snoitcerid yek rehto era erehT

.slennahc tnetopinmo yb dekcolb won si setupsid edart rof ssecorp slaeppa eht hguoht neve ,seirtnuoc gnipoleved gnitceffa tnemtsevni rof krowrepap ecuder pleh ot tnatropmi sniamer noitazinagrO edarT dlroW eht fo tnemeergA noitatilicaF tnemtsevnI ehT .gnirolpxe htrow llits si ,lasrevinu yleritne ton fi neve ,seirtnuoc elpitlum gnivlovni fo hcaorppa laretalirulp ehT .tnemegagne ot rood eht nepo seitinutroppo suoirav ,detnemgarf si ,NU eht yb detneserper ,msilaretalitlum fi neve ,tsriF

.saes hgih eht no seitivitca setaluger hcihw ,)JNBB ro noitcidsiruJ lanoitaN dnoyeb saerA fo ytisreviD lacigoloiB eniraM fo esU elbaniatsuS dna noitavresnoC eht no aeS eht fo waL eht no noitnevnoC NU eht rednu tnemeergA eht sa nwonk( noitcidsiruj lanoitan dnoyeb snaeco fo noitcetorp eht no ytaert eht si elpmaxe gnigreme nA .noitarepooc ot yawrood a reffo hcihw sgnittes laretalitlum wen era ereht ,dnoceS

.ytaert siht rednu seettimmoc suoirav eht ni noitatneserper evah ot mia dluohs dnaliahT .etats a fo noitca laretalinu eht ot tfel eb tonnac hcihw ,stnemssessa tcapmi latnemnorivne dna ecnegilid eud ot tcejbus eb tsum yeht ,noitatiolpxe dna noitarolpxe rof saera eb ot era ereht fi taht eerga won seirtnuoc fo ytirojam ehT

.tnempoleved-muc-ytiruces namuh dna ,)IA( ecnegilletnI laicifitrA ,noitasilatigid gnirevoc pihsrentrap rof allerbmu lacitilop derahs a sa osla tub ecremmoc dna edart ylno ton no tcapmi na htiw ,noinU naeporuE eht htiw aera edart eerf a esilanif ot laitnesse si ti ,edart lanoitanretni fo sedutissiciv eht revetahw ,dnaliahT roF .metsys laretalitlum denekaew eht fo tcapmi eht ecuder ot pleh nac stnemegnarra laretalib dna lanoiger ,drihT

.sretrauq lanretxe elbatciderpnu ot setupsid tnemtsevni tfihs ot naht rehtar seidemer lacol fo noitsuahxe eht erusne ot smetsys laiciduj lanoitan yolpme ot moor erom si erehT .ecnerefnoc eht ta desiar saw ssecorp eht etaluger ot tnemtsevni eht gniviecer yrtnuoc eht fo thgir ehT .)smelborp ycnerapsnart htiw semitemos( slenap noitartibra morf sdrawa tnatibroxe ni gnitluser ,noitartibra lanretxe ot setupsid gnikat yb snoitcidsiruj lacol ssapyb nac srotsevni ngierof taht snaem siht ,ytilaer nI .tnemtaert elbatiuqe dna riaf fo noiton eht ot tcepser htiw rettal eht no nedrub evissecxe na esopmi taht stnemeerga etats-rotsevni eseht fo serocs era erehT .seirtnuoc gnipoleved fo tnemtaert riaf eht erusne ot detsujda eb ot deen srotsevni ngierof fo stseretni eht tcetorp taht stnemeerga suoirav ,htruoF

.yadot tnenitrep llits stnemegnarra htiw ,are I raW dlroW-erp eht ot kcab gnitad ,eugaH eht ni noitartibrA fo truoC tnenamreP eht yb detatilicaf neeb sah ssecorp eht ,etad ot ,noitailicnoc ot drager nI .noitatlusnoc dna noitaitogen sa hcus sessecorp lausnesnoc ot nepo gnieb elihw ,snoitadnemmocer gnidnib-non htiw noitailicnoc yroslupmoc si ssecorp tluafed eht ,nesohc ton era smsinahcem hcus fi ,noitnevnoC aeS eht fo waL eht rednU .snoisiced gnidnib ot dael nac hcihw fo htob ,noitartibra ro aeS eht fo waL eht rof lanubirT lanoitanretnI eht sa hcus ,snoitpo rehto era ereht ,srettam detaler-aes nO .truoc eht htiw ecneirepxe tsap sti ot eud yrtnuoc eht rof ylekilnu si ecitsuJ fo truoC lanoitanretnI eht ot troseR .level lanoitanretni eht ta smsinahcem tnemelttes etupsid suoirav eht ni etaitogen ot yrtnuoc eht elbane ot laitnesse era gninnalp etutsa dna ssenderaperp ,htfiF

.dekoolrevo eb ton dluohs ,seicarcomed-non fo ecneserp eht gnidulcni ,stnemele eseht gnidnuorrus txetnoc desab-rewop ehT .tnelaverp era snoitaloiv rehto dna smacs enilno tnapmar erehw ,ecapsrebyc ni noitca rof deen eht gnirocsrednu ,detpoda saw semircrebyc no ytaert lanoitanretni na ,yltneceR .wal nairatinamuh lanoitanretni rednu tnaveler reve sniamer raw fo semit ni snailivic fo noitcetorp ehT .amaronap taht fo stcepsa wen era ereht ,seussi labolg fo traeh eht ta niamer ytiruces dna ecaep lanoitanretni elihw ,htxiS

.snoitrotsid retnuoc ot egarevel fo smrof rehto dna aidem ,lacitilop reggirt ot dna sgnittes evisuba morf sngiapmac etah ffo draw ot -- lanoitan dna lanoiger ,laretalitlum -- slennahc elbissop lla yolpme ot hcaorppa evitcaorp a setivni sihT .noitamrofnisid dna noitamrofnisim gnisaercni fo dlrow a ni laitnesse era seigetarts noitacinummoc tnegilletni ,htneveS

.noitairporppa lanoitan ot nepo eb ton dluohs stenalp eht dna srats eht sa hcus "snommoc" niatreC .enola etats eno naht rehtar "ytinamuh nommoc" ot gnoleb dluohs hcihw sniamod emos era ereht ,ecaps ro ria ,aes ,dnal rehtehw ,secruoser ot drager htiW .srewoprepus suoirav morf gnitaname ytilibisnopserri fo ammelid eht emocrevo ot snoiger rehto dna naciremA htuoS/lartneC ,nacirfA htiw ecselaoc ot yrtnuoc siht gnitivni ,erof eht ot emoc sah "srewop elddim" mret eht ,hthgiE

.citsiligup dna ralusni erom emoceb evah srewoprepus emos fi neve ,laitnesse si erutuf eht rof gninnalP .0302 ni eripxe lliw ,5102 ni nageb hcihw ,slaog tnempoleved elbaniatsus labolg tnerruc ehT .noitca lanoitan dna lanoitanretni rof latovip niamer sthgir namuh dna tnempoleved namuh elbaniatsus ,yllaniF

.IA sa hcus ,snamuh-non dna ,rotces ssenisub eht sa hcus ,srotca etats-non fo tnevda eht dna ,sretsasid detaler dna egnahc etamilc ,ecaep dna raw fo seussi petsedis ot elba eb ton lliw gninnalp tnempoleved fo esahp txen ehT

.modsiw labolg-lacol yb deripsni ,snoitca gnirahs dna gnirac hguorht sa hcus ,yhtapme htiw noitasilaicos dna noitcaretni laicosohcysp ot nepo eb ot osla tub ytilairetam ni desremmi eb ot ylno ton cilbup labolg eht setivni )suoigiler ylirassecen ton( esnopser lautirips A

 

Vitit Muntarbhorn

Chulalongkorn University Professor Emeritus

Vitit Muntarbhorn is a Professor Emeritus at the Faculty of Law, Chulalongkorn University and a former UN Special Rapporteur. His latest book is ‘Challenges of International Law in the Asian Region’, which will be followed by a forthcoming book on IHL in Asean.

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