Blogs Public International Law
1. Paris Agreement imminent entry into force (week 1)
2. Alain Pallet interview (week 1)
3. US-Taliban agreement, Azin Tadjdini (week 2)
4. Use of force by NSA and limitis of attribution (week 2)
5. Jamal Khashoggi (week 2)
6. Green reading 8 ECHR Pavlov v. Russia (week 3)
7. Climate change hearings and ECtHR (week 3)
8. Climate justice in Strasbourg (week 3)
9. Case of the century, Strasbourg ECtHR (week 3)
10. Climate action needs investment governance (week 4)
11. International law and decolonization in Africa (week 4)
12. Eco Oro v. Colombia (week 4)
(Guilio Regeni, Khashoggi, Dominic Ongwen)
, 1. Paris Agreement imminent entry into force (week 1)
Paris Agreement entered into force at record speed (six months after its signing) due to its
flexible and non-intrusive design.
It acknowledges existing national efforts, respects state sovereignty, and imposes few legally
binding obligations. States were not required to change domestic laws to implement it.
UN Secretary-General’s active support and participation of major emitters like the US and
China reassured smaller countries. Agreement ensures equity in obligations, based on each
country’s responsibilities and capacities, and relies partly on social and political pressure.
Despite its flexibility, the Agreement constitutes international law:
- Once ratified or accepted, states are legally bound to act in line with its objectives.
- Obligations are binding both individually and collectively, and are erga omnes partes
—owed to all other parties.
- Non-compliance constitutes a breach of international law.
Domestic legal impact:
- Even without strict enforceability, the Agreement’s normative elements can shape
domestic law and policy.
- Lawyers and policymakers can invoke its principles to interpret or guide national
climate action.
Interpretation follows standard treaty rules (31 VCLT): good faith, ordinary meaning, context,
object, and purpose.
The entry into force triggered:
- The binding nature of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as benchmarks for
transparency and progress.
- Parties’ commitment to adopt domestic measures aimed at achieving NDCs.
- Withdrawal remains possible, a condition that made the legally binding provisions
more politically acceptable to some states.
- The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris
Agreement (CMA) has now begun to function as its governing body.
1. Paris Agreement imminent entry into force (week 1)
2. Alain Pallet interview (week 1)
3. US-Taliban agreement, Azin Tadjdini (week 2)
4. Use of force by NSA and limitis of attribution (week 2)
5. Jamal Khashoggi (week 2)
6. Green reading 8 ECHR Pavlov v. Russia (week 3)
7. Climate change hearings and ECtHR (week 3)
8. Climate justice in Strasbourg (week 3)
9. Case of the century, Strasbourg ECtHR (week 3)
10. Climate action needs investment governance (week 4)
11. International law and decolonization in Africa (week 4)
12. Eco Oro v. Colombia (week 4)
(Guilio Regeni, Khashoggi, Dominic Ongwen)
, 1. Paris Agreement imminent entry into force (week 1)
Paris Agreement entered into force at record speed (six months after its signing) due to its
flexible and non-intrusive design.
It acknowledges existing national efforts, respects state sovereignty, and imposes few legally
binding obligations. States were not required to change domestic laws to implement it.
UN Secretary-General’s active support and participation of major emitters like the US and
China reassured smaller countries. Agreement ensures equity in obligations, based on each
country’s responsibilities and capacities, and relies partly on social and political pressure.
Despite its flexibility, the Agreement constitutes international law:
- Once ratified or accepted, states are legally bound to act in line with its objectives.
- Obligations are binding both individually and collectively, and are erga omnes partes
—owed to all other parties.
- Non-compliance constitutes a breach of international law.
Domestic legal impact:
- Even without strict enforceability, the Agreement’s normative elements can shape
domestic law and policy.
- Lawyers and policymakers can invoke its principles to interpret or guide national
climate action.
Interpretation follows standard treaty rules (31 VCLT): good faith, ordinary meaning, context,
object, and purpose.
The entry into force triggered:
- The binding nature of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) as benchmarks for
transparency and progress.
- Parties’ commitment to adopt domestic measures aimed at achieving NDCs.
- Withdrawal remains possible, a condition that made the legally binding provisions
more politically acceptable to some states.
- The Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris
Agreement (CMA) has now begun to function as its governing body.
