Probing Stakeholder Engagement: The Role of International Law in Active Conflicts (PROSE)

ongoing

International law has often been criticised for its limited influence on state behaviour. However, recent conflicts, notably the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the Gaza conflict, reveal a shift in how states and other actors engage with international legal norms. Rather than being sidelined by geopolitics, international adjudication is increasingly leveraged as a tool in high-stakes political conflicts. PROSE investigates this shift, focusing on how states and actors strategically use judicial processes at the International Criminal Court (ICC) and International Court of Justice (ICJ) to advance their objectives. Through a combination of socio-legal methods and legal analysis, PROSE aims to explore how legal submissions, judicial decisions, and stakeholder motivations influence international legal processes. By examining ICC and ICJ proceedings, particularly in the Ukraine and Gaza contexts, the project will uncover how actors use international law to shape outcomes during active conflicts. PROSE will also conduct interviews with key stakeholders to assess the broader implications of these legal engagements on international law’s evolution. The project has three main objectives: (1) to analyse how various actors—including states, international organisations, and NGOs—utilise international legal proceedings to shape arguments in conflicts; (2) to investigate the rationale behind the choice of legal strategies and venues; and (3) to evaluate the broader impact of these engagements on international law and its enforcement. Undertaking this research at UCPH, particularly at iCourts, will significantly benefit my academic development by integrating sociological and legal perspectives, positioning me to contribute to interdisciplinary studies of international law.