Defining the Imprecise Contours of Jus Cogens in International Law

Abstract

The concept of jus cogens or “peremptory norms” is not new to students and practitioners of international law, but the practical identification and application of jus cogens norms is not without its own set of disagreements and debate. The purpose of this paper is to identify some of the details of the development of the common understanding of jus cogens within international law, with particular emphasis on the Asian-African perspective, and to outline the work of the International Law Commission (ILC) on the topic since its inclusion on the ILC’s work programme in 2015.