Benjamin Duerr
@benjaminduerr.com
Diplomat. International lawyer. Writer | https://www.benjamin-duerr.com | The Hague / Den Haag (EN/NL/DE)
The word order of international law is eroding, as the generations who shaped it are dying. My review essay in the @europeanreview.bsky.social. Incl. @profgsgordon.bsky.social's new biography of Benjamin Ferencz. europeanreviewofbooks.com/issues/issue...
Issue Twelve - The European Review of Books
Issue Twelve SEPTEMBER 2026 A pale, dusty peach – warmer than pink, softer than orange, like the last stretch of summer light. Meet Issue Twelve, out in September 2026. In this issue: the self-flagellation that is writing a human text, a visit to an Irish subsea cable landing station, winter as a disappearing cultural construct, […]
europeanreviewofbooks.com
September 14, 2026 at 5:05 PM
The word order of international law is eroding, as the generations who shaped it are dying. My review essay in the @europeanreview.bsky.social. Incl. @profgsgordon.bsky.social's new biography of Benjamin Ferencz. europeanreviewofbooks.com/issues/issue...
“Our unfolding era promises to be darker and, perhaps, more desperate. It’s all the more critical, then, for leaders to mentally map the contours of this moment—if only so they can better navigate the dangers it presents.” @foreignpolicy.com
How to Survive in a World Without Rules
Self-help is becoming more vital in a vicious world.
foreignpolicy.com
September 13, 2026 at 5:47 PM
“Our unfolding era promises to be darker and, perhaps, more desperate. It’s all the more critical, then, for leaders to mentally map the contours of this moment—if only so they can better navigate the dangers it presents.” @foreignpolicy.com
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
“An Exception in World Affairs”: a must-read essay by Aryeh Neier in @nybooks.com, reflecting on the institutional success of the ICTY and why it may have been just what the title says: an exception in world affairs.
An Exception in World Affairs | Aryeh Neier
Ratko Mladić’s death last week at eighty-three in The Hague—where he was serving a life sentence for committing war crimes, crimes against humanity, and
www.nybooks.com
September 12, 2026 at 3:49 PM
“An Exception in World Affairs”: a must-read essay by Aryeh Neier in @nybooks.com, reflecting on the institutional success of the ICTY and why it may have been just what the title says: an exception in world affairs.
The 1945 world order is changing. Time to embark on the laborious process of building something afresh. The great historian Margaret MacMillan: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/o... @nytopinion.nytimes.com
Opinion | A New World Order Is Coming. We Aren’t Ready. (Gift Article)
We must be honest about the seriousness of the situation we’re in.
www.nytimes.com
September 6, 2026 at 6:08 PM
The 1945 world order is changing. Time to embark on the laborious process of building something afresh. The great historian Margaret MacMillan: www.nytimes.com/2026/09/01/o... @nytopinion.nytimes.com
The conservative case for international law: Why the right, too, should support a global legal order. foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/04/c...
The Conservative Case for International Law
Why the U.S. right should rediscover the virtues of a global legal order.
foreignpolicy.com
September 6, 2026 at 6:13 AM
The conservative case for international law: Why the right, too, should support a global legal order. foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/04/c...
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
ICC-rechter Nicolas Guillou zucht al een jaar onder Amerikaanse sancties. ‘Mijn Franse bank blokkeerde mijn creditcard’
ICC-rechter Nicolas Guillou zucht al een jaar onder Amerikaanse sancties. ‘Mijn Franse bank blokkeerde mijn creditcard’
Na een jaar van leven met sancties van de VS beseft ICC-rechter Nicolas Guillou pas echt hoe afhankelijk we zijn van Amerikaanse diensten. ‘Dat is best eng. We zijn in Europa onze soevereiniteit kwijtgeraakt.’
www.trouw.nl
September 4, 2026 at 12:18 PM
ICC-rechter Nicolas Guillou zucht al een jaar onder Amerikaanse sancties. ‘Mijn Franse bank blokkeerde mijn creditcard’
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
Excellent article about the demise of the Central American Court of Justice. One of the first experiments of international law, anywhere.
📍 www.ejiltalk.org/the-rise-and...
What would Alejandro Alvarez make of this tragic end?
📍 www.ejiltalk.org/the-rise-and...
What would Alejandro Alvarez make of this tragic end?
September 1, 2026 at 9:59 PM
Excellent article about the demise of the Central American Court of Justice. One of the first experiments of international law, anywhere.
📍 www.ejiltalk.org/the-rise-and...
What would Alejandro Alvarez make of this tragic end?
📍 www.ejiltalk.org/the-rise-and...
What would Alejandro Alvarez make of this tragic end?
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
Will states gathered at the UN this week agree to new rules for autonomous weapons systems?
Jessica Thibodeau on the importance of this week's international meeting on autonomous weapons in Geneva:
www.justsecurity.org/155198/exper...
Jessica Thibodeau on the importance of this week's international meeting on autonomous weapons in Geneva:
www.justsecurity.org/155198/exper...
Expert Backgrounder: What to Watch for at This Week’s Pivotal International Meeting on Autonomous Weapons
A United Nations gathering this week could prove pivotal for the international governance of lethal autonomous weapon systems.
www.justsecurity.org
August 31, 2026 at 1:06 PM
Will states gathered at the UN this week agree to new rules for autonomous weapons systems?
Jessica Thibodeau on the importance of this week's international meeting on autonomous weapons in Geneva:
www.justsecurity.org/155198/exper...
Jessica Thibodeau on the importance of this week's international meeting on autonomous weapons in Geneva:
www.justsecurity.org/155198/exper...
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
Nieuwe ronde:
Buitenkans voor journalisten, uit eigen ervaring sterk aanbevolen:
2 maanden werken bij Duitse krant, radio- of tv-zender. Met beurs + talencursus.
Meer informatie en solliciteren hier: journalistenstipendium.nl/aanmelden/
(dank voor wie dit deelt 😉)
Buitenkans voor journalisten, uit eigen ervaring sterk aanbevolen:
2 maanden werken bij Duitse krant, radio- of tv-zender. Met beurs + talencursus.
Meer informatie en solliciteren hier: journalistenstipendium.nl/aanmelden/
(dank voor wie dit deelt 😉)
August 30, 2026 at 8:34 AM
Nieuwe ronde:
Buitenkans voor journalisten, uit eigen ervaring sterk aanbevolen:
2 maanden werken bij Duitse krant, radio- of tv-zender. Met beurs + talencursus.
Meer informatie en solliciteren hier: journalistenstipendium.nl/aanmelden/
(dank voor wie dit deelt 😉)
Buitenkans voor journalisten, uit eigen ervaring sterk aanbevolen:
2 maanden werken bij Duitse krant, radio- of tv-zender. Met beurs + talencursus.
Meer informatie en solliciteren hier: journalistenstipendium.nl/aanmelden/
(dank voor wie dit deelt 😉)
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
"The ICC and its personnel cannot be expected to weather this powerful storm alone."
UN Experts are duly alarmed.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/08/un-experts-demand-bold-action-icc-member-states-denounce-new-sanctions
UN Experts are duly alarmed.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/08/un-experts-demand-bold-action-icc-member-states-denounce-new-sanctions
August 28, 2026 at 10:34 PM
"The ICC and its personnel cannot be expected to weather this powerful storm alone."
UN Experts are duly alarmed.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/08/un-experts-demand-bold-action-icc-member-states-denounce-new-sanctions
UN Experts are duly alarmed.
https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2026/08/un-experts-demand-bold-action-icc-member-states-denounce-new-sanctions
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
We know that Trump is challenging international law, and in particular international criminal law. That matters especially in the context of his 'war of choice' in Iran. @drmelob.bsky.social has the lowdown.
Six months into the US-Iran war, will there be any accountability for potential war crimes?
This is a crucial moment for international law in the face of concerted efforts by the Trump administration to undermine and discredit it.
theconversation.com
August 28, 2026 at 1:09 AM
We know that Trump is challenging international law, and in particular international criminal law. That matters especially in the context of his 'war of choice' in Iran. @drmelob.bsky.social has the lowdown.
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
Ratko Mladic, serving a life sentence for his role in the #genocide at Srebrenica, has died in prison aged 84
amp.dw.com/en/ratko-mla...
amp.dw.com/en/ratko-mla...
Ratko Mladic dead at 84 — reports
The former Bosnian Serb general was convicted of genocide committed during the bloody 1992-95 war in Bosnia.
amp.dw.com
August 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM
Ratko Mladic, serving a life sentence for his role in the #genocide at Srebrenica, has died in prison aged 84
amp.dw.com/en/ratko-mla...
amp.dw.com/en/ratko-mla...
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
Here's some weekend reading from @fortid.crisisgroup.org and me @time.com: "The Uphill Struggle facing the Next UN Secretary-General".
time.com/article/2026...
time.com/article/2026...
Make the U.N. Great Again: The Uphill Struggle Facing the Next Secretary General
"The new leader of the United Nations cannot heal all the world’s divisions, but with courage and political acumen, the next Secretary-General can make international disputes a little less toxic," wri...
time.com
August 22, 2026 at 1:27 PM
Here's some weekend reading from @fortid.crisisgroup.org and me @time.com: "The Uphill Struggle facing the Next UN Secretary-General".
time.com/article/2026...
time.com/article/2026...
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
Few British lawyers have a better understanding of genocide than Sir Howard Morrison KCMG CBE KC. On the latest episode of A Lawyer Talks, the international lawyer said he was concerned to see the definition of genocide being watered down in public discourse.
rozenberg.substack.com/p/judging-ge...
rozenberg.substack.com/p/judging-ge...
Judging genocide
Listen now | What a new consultative body might do for Congolese victims
rozenberg.substack.com
August 17, 2026 at 5:10 AM
Few British lawyers have a better understanding of genocide than Sir Howard Morrison KCMG CBE KC. On the latest episode of A Lawyer Talks, the international lawyer said he was concerned to see the definition of genocide being watered down in public discourse.
rozenberg.substack.com/p/judging-ge...
rozenberg.substack.com/p/judging-ge...
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
How did certain global atrocities come to be recognized as international crimes, while others did not? In our latest issue, Suwita Hani Randhawa examines this puzzle across four historic periods in the 20th century.
📚 👉 buff.ly/9SyK28Q
📚 👉 buff.ly/9SyK28Q
August 11, 2026 at 12:11 PM
How did certain global atrocities come to be recognized as international crimes, while others did not? In our latest issue, Suwita Hani Randhawa examines this puzzle across four historic periods in the 20th century.
📚 👉 buff.ly/9SyK28Q
📚 👉 buff.ly/9SyK28Q
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
Mensenrechtenclubs klagen regering VS aan om acties tegen Internationaal Strafhof
Mensenrechtenclubs klagen regering VS aan om acties tegen Internationaal Strafhof
De organisaties spreken van een gerichte aanval op het Strafhof in Den Haag. De maatregelen zouden de internationale rechtsorde zou ondermijnen.
nos.nl
August 11, 2026 at 10:03 PM
Mensenrechtenclubs klagen regering VS aan om acties tegen Internationaal Strafhof
Den Haag was decennialang de enige plek waar #Iran en de VS rechtstreeks met elkaar spraken. Ook nu nog. Mijn long-read voor @groene.nl over een unieke villa aan de Parkweg: het Iran-VS-claims-tribunaal. www.groene.nl/artikel/een-...
Hoe schreeuwerig de geschillen tussen Iran en de VS ook zijn, aan de Parkweg in Den Haag komen afgezanten al decennia in stilte samen
Decennialang was Den Haag de enige plek waar Iran en de VS rechtstreeks met elkaar spraken. Hoe lukte het om de vijanden na de gijzeling op de Amerikaanse ambassade in Teheran en de Iraanse Revolutie ...
www.groene.nl
August 11, 2026 at 6:49 PM
Den Haag was decennialang de enige plek waar #Iran en de VS rechtstreeks met elkaar spraken. Ook nu nog. Mijn long-read voor @groene.nl over een unieke villa aan de Parkweg: het Iran-VS-claims-tribunaal. www.groene.nl/artikel/een-...
#China is expanding its investments to shape international law and the extra-territorial reach of its domestic laws. Insightful essay by @markjia.bsky.social. www.foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas...
China’s Legal Weapon
Beijing’s quest to challenge America’s legal hegemony.
www.foreignaffairs.com
August 9, 2026 at 5:26 PM
#China is expanding its investments to shape international law and the extra-territorial reach of its domestic laws. Insightful essay by @markjia.bsky.social. www.foreignaffairs.com/china/chinas...
The rise of (unlawful) attacks on civilian energy infrastructure - why they have become common in wars from #Iran to #Ukraine and Sudan. @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/m...
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/m...
We Thought Tech Would Make War More Precise. We Were Wrong. (Gift Article)
Until recently, attacking civilian energy infrastructure was unacceptable. The dynamics of modern war have changed that.
www.nytimes.com
August 9, 2026 at 4:49 AM
The rise of (unlawful) attacks on civilian energy infrastructure - why they have become common in wars from #Iran to #Ukraine and Sudan. @nytimes.com
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/m...
www.nytimes.com/2026/08/07/m...
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
The world’s in a gangsterish state, with Trump, Putin & Xi turning dependencies into protection rackets. That’s a dilemma for candidates to be next UN Sec. General. How to defend basic norms without crossing the veto-wielding bullies of the Security Council? My column
economist.com/internationa...
economist.com/internationa...
Al Capone would recognise today’s world order. That’s not good
In a gangsterish age, the UN needs an ultra-pragmatist as secretary-general
economist.com
August 5, 2026 at 4:46 PM
The world’s in a gangsterish state, with Trump, Putin & Xi turning dependencies into protection rackets. That’s a dilemma for candidates to be next UN Sec. General. How to defend basic norms without crossing the veto-wielding bullies of the Security Council? My column
economist.com/internationa...
economist.com/internationa...
The Hague as vacation hot spot: “Although most commonly known as a center of justice and politics, The Hague is home to seven miles of sandy coastline”. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/w... @nytimes.com @jeannasmialek.bsky.social
How Being Cool Is Making The Hague a Vacation Hot Spot (Gift Article)
Looking for respite from European heat waves, summer tourists are flocking to the diplomatic hub. But city leaders are wary of overcrowding.
www.nytimes.com
August 5, 2026 at 11:28 AM
The Hague as vacation hot spot: “Although most commonly known as a center of justice and politics, The Hague is home to seven miles of sandy coastline”. www.nytimes.com/2026/08/05/w... @nytimes.com @jeannasmialek.bsky.social
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
NEW: The ICC is searching for a new chief prosecutor at a defining moment. As @kayliwewe.bsky.social writes in @newlinesmag.bsky.social, the new leader will inherit major cases, political pressure and questions over whether the court can regain trust.
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/th...
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/th...
The Impossible Job Facing the ICC’s Next Prosecutor
The International Criminal Court’s new leader will inherit an institution caught between delivering justice and the pressures exerted by powerful governments
newlinesmag.com
August 4, 2026 at 4:12 PM
NEW: The ICC is searching for a new chief prosecutor at a defining moment. As @kayliwewe.bsky.social writes in @newlinesmag.bsky.social, the new leader will inherit major cases, political pressure and questions over whether the court can regain trust.
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/th...
newlinesmag.com/spotlight/th...
Reposted by Benjamin Duerr
Ist Geopolitik bloß maskierte Machtstaatspolitik oder ein unverzichtbares Analysesinstrument für eine Welt im Umbruch? Jakob Kullik (TU Chemnitz) bespricht zwei Bücher, die sich aus ganz unterschiedlichen Stoßrichtungen, dem „Gespenst der Geopolitik“ annehmen. @hhedition.bsky.social
Das Gespenst der Geopolitik
Neuer Beitrag auf dem PW-Portal!
www.pw-portal.de
August 5, 2026 at 7:02 AM
Ist Geopolitik bloß maskierte Machtstaatspolitik oder ein unverzichtbares Analysesinstrument für eine Welt im Umbruch? Jakob Kullik (TU Chemnitz) bespricht zwei Bücher, die sich aus ganz unterschiedlichen Stoßrichtungen, dem „Gespenst der Geopolitik“ annehmen. @hhedition.bsky.social
Mijn nieuwe bijdrage: hoe 80 jaar geleden in Neurenberg oorlog een misdrijf werd:
Europese landen willen een nieuw tribunaal oprichten dat Russische leiders moet vervolgen vanwege de agressieoorlog tegen Oekraïne. Tachtig jaar geleden werden in Neurenberg voor het eerst politieke en militaire leiders veroordeeld voor het voeren van een agressieoorlog.
Het Proces van Neurenberg: hoe oorlog een misdaad werd
Tachtig jaar geleden werden in Neurenberg voor het eerst politieke en militaire leiders veroordeeld voor het voeren van een agressieoorlog.
buff.ly
July 31, 2026 at 3:23 PM
Mijn nieuwe bijdrage: hoe 80 jaar geleden in Neurenberg oorlog een misdrijf werd: