Exploring the UN Charter's Prohibition on the Use of Force
The recent US-Israel attack on Iran has brought Article 2(4) of the UN Charter back into the spotlight. Examining the history and purpose behind this crucial rule of international law.
The recent US-Israel attack on Iran has once again brought the spotlight onto Article 2(4) of the UN Charter, which was drafted in the aftermath of World War II to ban unprovoked threats or use of force amongst countries. This cornerstone of international law has played a critical role in maintaining global peace and security since the United Nations' founding in 1945.
Article 2(4) states that all UN member states must "refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state". This was a direct response to the devastating conflicts that had ravaged the world in the first half of the 20th century, with the aim of preventing such horrors from ever happening again.
{{IMAGE_PLACEHOLDER}}Source: Deutsche Welle
