International Legal News - 03 November 2025

The following media round up on international and foreign policy issues from around the world for the period of 27 October to 31 October 2025. Guernica 37 will provide weekly media updates from the International Criminal Court, European Court of Human Rights, United Nations, European Union and other sources. Should you wish to contribute or submit a media summary, opinion piece or blog, please send to Ned Vucijak at nenadv@guernica37.com for consideration.

Guernica 37 International Legal News

31 October 2025 Kosovo sees off bid to revive ICC Claim

A court in France has reportedly rejected an application to revive arbitral proceedings under the ICC against Kosovo in relation to a network of petrol stations.

The news comes after further reports that a Kosovan government-owned entity has succeeded in an unrelated arbitration in the energy sector.

For more on this story, see here.

30 October 2025

UN commission warns over looming conflict in Sudan

The UN Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan has warned of a growing risk of nation-wide conflict returning to the country. Increased altercations, political uprisings, and human right violations have been cited.

Both the UN and neighbouring African countries have continued to pressure the South Sudanese Government to draft a permanent constitution, a hybrid court, and foster a political system. UN peacekeeping efforts have been maintaining aid to over 1.3 million internally displaced people in South Sudan.

Fore more on this story, see here.

29 October 2025

Blog Corner: “Reinforce, Reform or Rupture? The Future of the European Convention on Human Rights”

Following recent discourse in the UK and in the continent about the European Convention on Human Rights (“ECHR”), Alice Donald and Andrew Forde have published a post that will be of interest to practioners and academics with a focus on European Human Rights and the Council of Europe.

They explore what are the realistic options available to Member States when considering their place within the Council of Europe and their implementation of the ECHR within their jurisdiction. They consider what are the practical legal requirements for those options, including making substantive changes, and temporary suspension through derogation, amongst other options.

To read this post, see here.

28 October 2025

Congress of Council of Europe adopts declaration concerning Ukraine

The Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of the Council of Europe (“CoE”) has adopted a declaration entitled “Ukraine: towards a just peace”. This new declaration both affirms the CoE’s commitment to the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders, but also condemns Russia’s war of aggression, which has resulted in:

“the mass loss of innocent lives and human suffering, as well as the targeted destruction of cultural heritage and of vital infrastructure, which represented human-rights violations unprecedented in recent European history”.

The Congress has signalled that reconstruction work should not wait until peace, but that it is already taking place.

For more on this story, see here.

27 October 2025

New briefing paper calls for an international convention to prevent and punish crimes against humanity

Readers of G37’s International News will be familiar with the NGO Human Rights Watch. They have recently published a briefing paper alongside Columbia Law School’s Prevention for Crimes Against Humanity Project, that calls for the adoption of a new mechanism at international law.

The paper outlines 25 recommendations for delegations at the United Nations to consider, prior to what are reported to be formal negotiations towards a treaty.

For more on this story, see here.

To read the briefing paper, see here.