Latest blog articles

  • Before the World Court: What Is at Stake in the Advisory Proceedings on Israel’s Obligations in Relation to the United Nations and Other Actors in the Occupied Palestinian Territory

    This explainer provides essential context on the ICJ’s advisory opinion request on Obligations of Israel in relation to the Presence and Activities of the United Nations, Other International Organizations and Third States in and in relation to the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The hearings...

    icj hearings at law
  • Genocide in Gaza?

    A brief explainer about the ICJ case brought by South Africa against Israel

    On 29 December, almost three months after the 7 October Hamas attacks on Israel and the ensuing Israeli military strikes on the Gaza Strip, which had by then resulted in the deaths of more than 21,000 people and more than...

    international law
  • The technique of academic research: on research lines and second brains

    An important part of becoming a fully-fledged academic is the development and curation of a research line. A research line is the main research topic and the thread throughout (large parts of) a career. It could be law and technology in private law, globalisation in public law, human rights in...

    law_brain-building_a_second_brain_bram_akkermans
  • Ensuring compliance with sustainable development provisions in EU FTAs

    The trade and sustainable development chapters included in recent EU FTAs have been criticized for lacking an effective enforcement mechanism, and in particular for the absence of sanctions to ensure compliance. This has been blamed for the poor implementation of their commitments by partner...

    Entrepreneur blog IGIR trade and compliance
  • Sustainability and private law?

    The biggest challenge of the 21st century is undoubtedly the question of how to tackle the effects of a rising population, expanding industrialisation and growing environmental degradation. Apart from an ever complex world, there are externalities that are the result of the way humankind has been...

    SD goals_development_MLR