A privilege to contribute back to conversations in my homeland🇳🇿 about its place in the international “rules-based order” for Radio New Zealand. Interview includes a serious discussion of how international law matters for “Jane from Mosgiel”… www.rnz.co.nz/national/pro...

The rules-based international order is at risk - what next?

Dr Malcolm Jorgensen Macolm is from the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg Germany, and he chats to Emile.

rnz.co.nz

Greatly looking forward to joining this panel talk in person at @nziia.bsky.social, 23 June, Auckland: “The Battle for the International Order: Lessons from Ukraine and beyond”. Offering my perspective on current political contestations of international legal order www.nziia.org.nz/events/the-b...

For the first time, Germany has lost a campaign for a non-permanent seat on the UN Security Council👇 The world cares about int’al law, & this is a lesson for states: whether it’s Venezuela, Gaza, Iran, or Lebanon, promoting the consistent application of int’al law is good politics.

Ulrike Franke@rikefranke.bsky.social · 2mo ago

Germany does not get a non-permanent seat in the UN security council, losing against Austria and Portugal. That’s actually pretty embarrassing for German diplomacy (even if you think the SC is useless.)

“The Future of the Liberal International Order” at @dgap.org Berlin book launch of “Deep Contestations of the Liberal International Order”, @antjewiener.bsky.social, David A. Lake, Thomas Risse (eds.) @academic.oup.com—open access: academic.oup.com/book/62001

Helmut Philipp Aust has joined MPIL as Director. He now co-leads the Institute with Anne Peters and Armin von Bogdandy; his work spans state responsibility, cities in international law, and co-operation in antagonistic times. Read the full announcement: www.mpil.de/en/pub/news/... #IntlLaw

On the State Department Memorandum “Operation Epic Fury and International Law” By Brian Finucane (@bcfinucane.bsky.social), former State Dept attorney in the Office of the Legal Adviser #IranWar

On the State Department Memorandum “Operation Epic Fury and International Law”

Former State Department attorney's critique of the Department's Iran war memorandum on “Operation Epic Fury and International Law.”

justsecurity.org

Opening of @mpil.de conference “International Law and Peace in Ukraine”, with offical positions from Dr Wiebke Rückert (🇩🇪German Federal Foreign Office) and Dr Anton Korynevych (🇺🇦Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine). Ukraine core message: No peace without justice and no compromise on justice.

🎙️Listen here for my new podcast episode with @maxplancklaw.bsky.social “Lawcast”—on “geolegal” reordering and diverging global interpretations over not merely “international law”, but more fundamentally the meanings of a *legitimate* global political and legal order law.mpg.de/lawcast/?id=...

Lawcast - Max Planck Law

law.mpg.de

“The Unwillingness to Call This Illegal Is a Terrible Mistake” Five Questions to Oona A. Hathaway Read it in English here: verfassungsblog.de/the-unwillin... And in German here: verfassungsblog.de/die-weigerun...

Schrödinger's Rules-Based Order: Both dead and alive in #IranWar

Die USA und Israel haben mit einem Militärangriff auf den Iran begonnen. MARKO MILANOVIĆ zeigt, warum sich die Militärschläge nicht als Selbstverteidigung nach Art. 51 der UN-Charta rechtfertigen lassen und offenkundig gegen das Völkerrecht verstoßen. verfassungsblog.de/warum-der-er...

President of the European Commission @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu recommits to destroying the international legal order every time she invokes “international law”, but acquiesces to blatant illegality by Western powers.

Ursula von der Leyen@vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu · 5mo ago

In close coordination with EU Member States, we will take all necessary steps to ensure that EU citizens in the region can count on our full support. We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, to protect civilians, and to fully respect international law.

Canada rightly condemns the Iran regime but then says it supports the US-led war in Iran, despite it violating international law, a topic on which PM Carney is silent. Is abandoning international law what Carney meant by principled realism in his Davos speech?

Mark Carney@mark-carney.bsky.social · 5mo ago

My statement on Iran-related hostilities in the Middle East:

I’d like to know what Carney meant by sovereignty and territorial integrity and the rules-based order when he spoke these words just one month ago.

Mark Carney@mark-carney.bsky.social · 5mo ago

My statement on Iran-related hostilities in the Middle East:

Scientists no Longer Find Twitter Professionally Useful, and have Switched to Bluesky: academic.oup.com/icb/article-...

Scientists no Longer Find Twitter Professionally Useful, and have Switched to Bluesky

Synopsis. Social media has become widely used by the scientific community for a variety of professional uses, including networking and public outreach. For

academic.oup.com

The central concept of Rubio’s #MSC speech was “Western civilisation” as a shared ethno-religious (Christian) transatlantic identity. Anti-migration and incompatible with an inclusive European identity grounded in liberal values. Yet it received a standing ovation and high praise by the MSC Chair.

Phillips OBrien@phillipspobrien.bsky.social · 6mo ago

Free piece just released. Marco Rubio called on tolerant, democratic, liberal Europe to destroy itself and embrace a Trump-like future. He received a standing ovation and we are told some people are reassured. If so, Europe will deserve everything coming its way. open.substack.com/pub/phillips...

Pauline Hanson’s racist rhetoric cast a shadow over my childhood. Here we are again | Zoya Patel

Pauline Hanson’s racist rhetoric cast a shadow over my childhood. Here we are again | Zoya Patel

As a first generation immigrant, it is gutting to see Australians falling for One Nation’s anti-immigration rhetoric 30 years on from Hanson’s initial rise I’ve been cynical about politics for a long time, especially when it comes to Australian attitudes to racism and immigration. The latter has always been the favourite scapegoat of rightwing politicians to blame for anything they don’t want to meaningfully address through policy – house prices rising? Unemployment rates too high? Economic inequality growing? It’s because of all those foreigners, obviously, coming here to steal jobs, houses and food right out of the mouths of “Aussie families”. It’s so predictable it’s almost boring. But I will admit that even my hardened black heart was dismayed to see the recent polls that show a rise in popularity for One Nation. While I know that the factors driving poll outcomes are complex, it is gutting to see Australians falling for the same rubbish 30 years after I thought we were done with Pauline Hanson for good. Continue reading...

theguardian.com

Excellent piece by @sophieduroy.bsky.social @lucatrenta.bsky.social. I disagree only that if US “no longer feels compelled to justify its actions in legal terms, other states—especially authoritarian regimes—are likely to follow suit”. Instead 🇨🇳🇷🇺 already cynically claim guardianship of int. law.

Verfassungsblog@verfassungsblog.de · 6mo ago

Trump captured Maduro, skipping even perfunctory legal justification. SOPHIE DUROY and LUCA TRENTA on why even hypocritical arguments better sustain international law's norms. verfassungsblog.de/even-hypocri...

The US intervention in Venezuela marks more than another breach of international law. HELMUT PHILIPP AUST, CLAUS KREß, and HEIKE KRIEGER on the US government’s descent into lawlessness — and its consequences for the global legal order verfassungsblog.de/the-end-of-a...

Trump has said US duty to comply with int. law 'depends what your definition of international law is'. What this means might be John Yoo's perverse argument: 'If international law is to retain relevance, it will have to follow power, not pretend to constrain it' www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/0...

International Law Is Holding Democracies Back

The United States should use this moment to argue for a different approach to the rules of war.

theatlantic.com

www.linkedin.com/posts/malcol...

In (partial) defence of the 'Rules-Based Order': Canadian PM Mark Carney has made headlines by challenging leaders at Davos to: ‘Stop invoking the “rules-based international order” as though i...

In (partial) defence of the 'Rules-Based Order': Canadian PM Mark Carney has made headlines by challenging leaders at Davos to: ‘Stop invoking the “rules-based international order” as though it still ...

linkedin.com

🌍 Greenland & International Law Katja Göcke’s 2009 #ZaöRV article breaks down Greenland’s legal status under international law—a very topical (re-)read in light of current headlines and Trump’s expressed interest in U.S. control over Greenland. Read now #OpenAccess. www.zaoerv.de/69_2009/69_2...

1/ 'I don't need international law' has made headlines, but in context Trump agreed US 'needs to abide by int. law on the global stage', saying 'Yeah I do, but it depends on what your definition of int. law is'. That sentiment confirms 'geolegal' reordering, where law reinforces spheres of influence

The Guardian@theguardian.com · 7mo ago

‘I don’t need international law’: Trump says power constrained only by ‘my own morality’

US attacks on Venezuela and the abduction of Nicolás Maduro raise profound legal and geopolitical concerns, with implications well beyond Venezuela itself. In a new post co-authored with Julian Arato, we examine the attack and its broader consequences under international law.

EJIL: Talk!@ejiltalk.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Trump’s Illegal Attack on Venezuela and Its Consequences | by @justinauriburu.bsky.social and @aratojulian.bsky.social

Pleased to speak with @charliesavage.bsky.social about how the U.S. military intervention in Venezuela breaches the UN Charter and the Take Care Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

Charlie Savage@charliesavage.bsky.social · 7mo ago

Legal Issues Raised by Trump’s Seizure of Maduro, Explained The operation revives disputes over the legality of the 1989 Panama intervention, enhanced by President Trump’s vow to “run” Venezuela and Nicolás Maduro’s formal status as president. www.nytimes.com/2026/01/03/u...

International law’s resilience requires literacy and legitimacy beyond international lawyers and scholars. @Patrickwintour.bsky.social @theguardian.com well bridges the divide here—including relationship with the “rules-based order” I have examined in recent years www.theguardian.com/law/ng-inter...

Into the void: how Trump killed international law

The rules-based global order, its institutions and value system face a crisis of legitimacy and credibility as the US turns away

theguardian.com

Nice surprise to catch this little glimpse of the now @humboldtuni.bsky.social law school, in the Altes Palais on Unter den Linden—Eduard Gartner (1845), Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, Madrid.

Honoured to deliver a Madrid keynote at @uc3m.es workshop ‘Global Justice in a Changing Global Order: Existing Models and Future Frameworks’—on exceptions/‘exceptionalism’ and the ICC. Concluding with a site visit to Valle de los Caídos, Franco’s fascist monument and former tomb.

The central concept of the newly released U.S. National Security Strategy appears to be security defined in “hemispheric” terms—the terminology appears 27 times. Fixed on a so-called “Trump Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine” across the “Western Hemisphere” www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/u...

#NewProfilePic (as my one from 8 years ago became increasingly implausibly youthful👴)