Neutrality - A survivor?

Abstract

Nicolas Politis argued in 1935 that the law of neutrality was obsolete, a product of the international anarchy of the times, doomed to be replaced by a new centralized international community. His vision of the League of Nations ended in the fire of World War II but his prediction proved to be mostly true. In the collective security system created by the UN Charter and its prohibition of the use of force, the traditional rules of neutrality do not find scope of application. Yet, transposed into fundamental principles of humanitarian law, they continue to rule over peace-keeping and humanitarian operations. In addition, they complement the existing rules for military action mandated by the UN Security Council, especially during operations at sea. He was essentially right: the institution had to change and it has changed. © EJIL 2012.