International Law, International Institutions, and the Pursuit of Peace

Abstract

Abstract This chapter charts the development over the past two centuries of effective international law and institutions to limit war and promote peace. The effort gained popular support in the nineteenth century, with the growth of peace societies leading to The Hague peace conferences (1899 and 1907), and the first agreements for rules of war and for arbitration of disputes. Though the First World War represented a defeat for peace campaigns, the League of Nations established a new framework for war prevention and disarmament. This led to the more comprehensive approach towards international peace and security set out in the United Nations Charter. Collective action for peace-keeping and, later, intervention for humanitarian purposes, would become enshrined in international law. By the twenty-first century, broader issues including the prevention of non-state aggression and genocide, and the threat posed by nuclear weapons, were being addressed. Peace advocacy and the activities of non-governmental organizations have played a significant role, but now face the challenge of formidable new risks.