The prohibition of the use of force

This clip introduces the general prohibition of the use of force as the cornerstone of the UN system and the contemporary international legal order. For this purpose, it first addresses the scope and content of Article 2(4) of the Charter as well as the customary nature of the prohibition. It then turns to the UN collective security system and specifically the powers of the UN Security Council, including its ability to take forcible measures under Article VII of the Charter.

0:00 Introduction
1:18 Article 2(4), UN Charter
2:48 Threat of the use of force
3:17 As a norm of customary int'l law
4:02 Exceptions to the prohibition
4:36 The UN Security Council
6:00 Chapter VII of the UN Charter
7:19 UNSC action and inaction

Reading:
• Jan Klabbers, International Law (4th ed., Cambridge University Press, 2023), chapter 10

Reading questions:
• What legal sources underpin the prohibition of the use of force? Provide a comprehensive answer that also touches upon the legal status of this norm within the current international legal system.

This video series was created for a second-year undergraduate course in public international law at University College Roosevelt in the Netherlands.