Post by Janne E. Nijman 🟥

As #internationallaw is #flagrantly #breached today, the world also looks at #Europe and how it responds. Is it condemning violations of international legal norms consistently? To uphold the international legal order, we have to #speak forcefully and consistently #internationallaw to #power, therewith we place #authority in international law, democracy, the #ruleoflaw and #fundamental rights, and we #reject unbridled power and use of brutal force. It requires concerted action and a conscious rejection of the narrative that lawlessness is now upon us, we can resist and international law offers us instruments. The reform of the international system is long overdue, yet in times like these it is crucial to demand respect for the basic principles of the UN Charter: respect for the prohibition of the use of force, peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereign equality and territorial integrity. In an interview with de Volkskrant journalist Peter Giesen I discussed what is at stake and how putting international law aside puts us on a dead end. We need to talk truth and international law to power. Throughout history, international law has been mobilized against various forms of imperialism, exploitative capitalism and autocracy. This moment in history, requires us to do this in the strongest possible terms. Honest to our past, open to reform of international law and institutions and to new collaborations and coalitions. The new international order to which #humanity now moves is not given, it is #not by necessity a #mightmakesright order, it is made. And we are called upon to make it. A task for Europe, for The Netherlands - as instructed by art 90 of the Constitution - and all of us as citizens and social movements. For the full interview (in Dutch) see here ⤵️ Thank you Peter for the rich conversation. https://lnkd.in/eUXbD4Mz