Self-defence under the UN Charter

In this video, I introduce the second of two exceptions to the general prohibition of the use of force, namely states' inherent right to self-defence. The overview touches upon the possibility of individual and collective self-defence, the criteria that need to be respected for an action to legally qualify as self-defence, as well as the question of anticipatory self-defence.

0:00 Introduction
0:23 Art. 51, UN Charter
1:24 Collective self-defence
2:00 Response to an armed attack
3:07 Necessity and proportionality
3:57 Primacy of the Security Council
4:37 Anticipatory self-defence
5:08 The Caroline Doctrine
6:16 Pre-emptive/preventive self-defence

Reading:
• Jan Klabbers, International Law (4th ed., Cambridge University Press, 2023), chapter 10

Reading questions:
• What distinguishes anticipatory self-defense from preemptive self-defense under international law? Answer with reference to a concrete example (real or hypothetical) not already given in the chapter.

This video series was created for a second-year undergraduate course in public international law at University College Roosevelt in the Netherlands.