About the Conference
Since the adoption of the Charter of the United Nations and its pivotal Article 2(4) prohibition of the use of force, the jus ad bellum regime remains as resilient as it does fragile. Nearly eighty years of state and institutional practice (and the corresponding scholarly commentary) continue to contribute to both its praise and criticism. Challenging crossroads continue, as they may, to plague the jus ad bellum: the invasion of Iraq in 2003, the NATO operation in Libya in 2011, the resurgence of military coups in West Africa, the advancement of cyber and space technology, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Has the prohibition of the use of force in Article 2(4) exhausted its nine lives? Is the United Nations Security Council fit for purpose? Has the United Nations ultimately failed to ‘save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’?
These pivotal questions have and continue to be addressed widely in conversation, deliberation, and scholarship. Yet, their contemplation finds neither end nor consensus among scholars in international law. The insurmountable challenges facing the contemporary international legal order pertaining to the use of force rightfully question whether it is facing exhaustion or complete destruction. Or has it already breached this threshold and is entering an era of rebirth?
General Partner of the Conference
Partners and Supporters of the Conference
Embassy of the Netherlands in Czechia
Organising Committee
Dr Martin Faix
Vice-Dean for International Relations and International Study Programme
Martin is teaching International Law at Palacký University in Olomouc, Faculty of Law and part-time at the Charles University in Prague. At Palacký University, he is Director of the Centre for International Humanitarian and Operational Law, at Charles University in Prague, he is a member of the Research Centre for Human Rights. Martin has authored over forty publications in use of force, IHL, human rights, and international organizations.
Dr Marko Svicevic
Reseacher - the Centre for International Humanitarian and Operational Law (CIHOL)
Marko is a researcher and consultant focusing on international law and the use of force. His research primarily focuses on the legality of states to resort to the use of military force. Research areas include UN Security Council authorisation of the use of force by states and international/regional organisations; self-defence, military assistance on request; and the use of force against non-state actors.
Prof. Erika de Wet
Institute for International Law and International Relations
University of Graz
Prof. Erika de Wet is professor of international law and head of the Institute for International Law and International Relations at the University of Graz. She is also Honorary Professor in the Faculty of Law, University of Bonn, Germany. Since October 2020 Prof. de Wet is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Max Planck Yearbook of United Nations Law.
