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International Law

International Law
International law is the attempt to manage conflict between countries. Though enforcement is difficult, international norms are strong enough to exact compliance in most (but far from all) cases.
Rule of Law
Particularly since the end of the Cold War, the rule of law has increasingly been recognized as an important aspect of international conflict resolution and post-conflict peace building. Similarly, the absence of the rule of law is often implicated as a source of violence, human rights violations, and intractability.
Jus ad Bellum
Jus ad Bellum, or Just War Theory, is a set of principles used to justify the use of violence.
Jus in Bello
The rules of Jus in Bello (or justice in war) serve as guidelines for fighting well once war has begun.
Rights
The spread of international human rights has helped fulfill basic human needs and reduce suffering. However, framing disputes in terms of absolute rights that cannot be compromised can contribute to a conflict's intractability.
Sovereignty
However, sovereignty is also one of the most misunderstood concepts in international relations, in part because its definition is changing and the political and conflict resolution implications are significant.
 
There is no time left for anything but to make peace work a dimension of our every waking activity. -- Elise Boulding

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Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov

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