New Partnership with the LAW not War Campaign

GCF’s work on Common Security

The global peace and security landscape is facing escalating challenges, marked by geopolitical tensions, violations of the UN Charter, the rising risk of nuclear conflict, and the weaponisation of emerging technologies. These threats present a grave danger to humanity and the planet. They demand urgent action to strengthen global governance mechanisms capable of addressing both existing and emerging security risks.

Throughout 2024, GCF has advanced its initiatives on common security as a cornerstone of its broader mission to mitigate global catastrophic risks through enhanced global governance. This approach prioritises fostering global peace and security by identifying and implementing collaborative solutions to shared security challenges.

The foundation aims to promote and uphold the rules-based global security order, based on international law, including the principles in the UN Charter. A critical part of this work includes strengthening mechanisms to ensure compliance with international law and to enhance international judicial mechanisms for resolving disputes peacefully.

A new partnership

To further its common security objectives, GCF has committed a grant to support the LAW not War Campaign with project funding through August next year. The LAW not War Campaign is a global initiative launched in October 2023 that aims to strengthen the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as a critical instrument for resolving international disputes peacefully, thereby reducing reliance on the threat or use of force.

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  Anna Möller-Loswick

  Head of Common Security, Global Challenges Foundation

“A strong and efficient multilateral system for peace and security must be grounded in the rule of law. Expanding the ICJ’s jurisdiction is a critical step toward enabling it to fulfill its role as a cornerstone of international dispute resolution and conflict prevention.” – Anna Möller-Loswick

As the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, the ICJ plays a vital role in global peace and security by adjudicating disputes between states (contentious cases) and providing advisory opinions on legal questions referred by authorised UN organs. However, the court’s effectiveness is hindered by its dependency on states voluntarily accepting its authority over all disputes.  The court can only hear contentious cases if all parties agree to submit to its jurisdiction – either by agreeing that the ICJ will be the method of dispute resolution in a treaty, on an exceptional basis by ad hoc acquiescence, or by declaring their acceptance of the Court’s compulsory jurisdiction for disputes between themselves and other States that also have made such a declaration.

The ICJ’s “compulsory jurisdiction”— the ability to issue binding rulings without further consent—requires prior acceptance by states. Currently, only 74 states have recognised the ICJ’s compulsory jurisdiction.

The Legal Alternatives to War (LAW not War) Campaign

The LAW not War Campaign addresses this gap by advocating for universal acceptance of the ICJ’s compulsory jurisdiction, enabling the court to act as a more robust mechanism for peaceful conflict resolution. By increasing the number of states that recognise this jurisdiction, the campaign aims to enhance the ICJ’s capacity to prevent and resolve disputes, fostering a stronger rules-based international order.

This project is undertaking a multi-faceted advocacy approach, with the key activities focusing on strengthening cooperation with a “like-minded group” of countries that promote  ICJ jurisdiction, hosting events at the UN and in The Hague to engage target states, advocating through inter-parliamentary bodies, and conducting outreach in target states’ capitals. The project is also building a coalition of civil society organisations and legal experts to support the campaign, and is integrating advocacy into UN processes like the Summit of the Future and review of the Sustainable Development Goals, especially Goal 16. This multi-faceted approach combines top-down engagement with governments and bottom-up mobilisation of civil society to encourage states to accept the ICJ’s compulsory jurisdiction.

Picture from the “Advancing the potential and impact of the International Court of Justice through increased acceptance of its compulsory jurisdiction” roundtable discussion held by the LAW not War Campaign.

This project is implemented by the World Federalist Movement – Institute for Global Policy (WFM-IGP), Citizens for Global Solutions, and the World Future Council, co-founding organisations of the LAW not War initiative. The organisations have previously demonstrated their strengths in building “smart coalitions,” including the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC), which helped establish the ICC. This experience of bringing together civil society and states to champion the rule of law and the effectiveness of judicial institutions is integral to the current project’s approach.

“The ICJ has never been busier in its nearly 80 year history, hearing an unprecedented number and variety of cases. It has also never been more visible with high profile cases on climate change, genocide, and other atrocities that have grabbed the public’s attention. And yet, it cannot fully realise its mandate as the central means for pacific resolution of disputes among states until its jurisdiction is universal.” – LAW not War

The LAW not War Campaign represents a bold step toward enhancing international legal mechanisms and fostering a global security system that prioritises peaceful resolutions over the use of force. Through GCF’s support, this initiative is working to strengthen the ICJ’s role in promoting a rules-based global order that safeguards humanity against escalating security risks.