Why international law is still the world’s best defence

Conceived in the long shadow of global devastation, the post-World War II order was constructed – imperfect yet purposeful – to shield humanity from a similar catastrophe.

In 1943, as the tides of battle in World War II began to turn in favour of the Allied powers, United States President Franklin D Roosevelt warned: “Unless the peace that follows recognises that the whole world is one neighbour...