In the first part, the fundamental norm of the international legal order in force since 1945—the prohibition on the use of military force in international relations—is explored against its historical background and within its current systematic context.
The second part examines the current political challenges facing international law in the context of peacekeeping and its conceivable future prospects.
This will be followed by an opportunity for discussion.

Claus Kreß is a professor of criminal law and international law at the University of Cologne.
In 2019, he was appointed ad hoc judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague.
Since 2021, he has served as Special Advisor to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on the crime of aggression.
He is a member of the Leopoldina and a life member of Clare Hall College at the University of Cambridge.