International Law of Peace is a seminar-based Master’s course that examines how international law seeks to prevent war, maintain peaceful relations among states, resolve disputes, and build sustainable peace after conflict. The course focuses on the legal principles, institutions, and mechanisms that support international peace, including the United Nations Charter system, the prohibition of the use of force, self-defense, collective security, peaceful settlement of disputes, peace agreements, human rights, justice, and contemporary challenges to peace law.

This course is important because peace is not only the absence of war. In modern international relations, peace requires legal order, respect for sovereignty, peaceful dispute resolution, protection of human rights, accountability, institutional cooperation, and prevention of renewed conflict. Students will learn how international law regulates state behavior, limits the use of force, supports collective security, and provides legal tools for managing crises before they become wars.

Through case studies, seminar discussions, and legal analysis, students will engage with real international examples such as the UN Charter system, Somalia v. Kenya maritime dispute, the Eritrea–Ethiopia boundary process, the Gulf War, Rwanda, Libya, Syria, Russia–Ukraine, cyber operations, terrorism, and non-state armed groups. These examples help students understand both the strengths and limitations of international law in maintaining peace.