International Bar Association

US presidency: Trump administration withdraws from dozens of international organisations in unprecedented move In January, President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum pulling the US out of 66 international organisations and instruments, including 31 UN entities. His administration views the organis...

President Trump signed a memorandum pulling the US out of 66 international organisations and instruments, including 31 UN entities. His administration views them as being ‘wasteful, ineffective, and harmful’, commentators say the exit of the US is a blow to decades of international norm setting.

Sanctions: seizure of Russian-flagged tanker demonstrates major shift in enforcement In January, US enforcement authorities engaged in a weeks-long pursuit of an aging, rusty oil tanker heading north away from Venezuela through the Atlantic Ocean. Mid-pursuit, the tanker’s crew did so...

US enforcement authorities engaged in a weeks-long pursuit of an aging, rusty oil tanker heading north away from Venezuela through the Atlantic Ocean. Mid-pursuit, the crew hurriedly painted a Russian flag on the hull. The seizure demonstrates a major shift in global sanctions enforcement.

Read: www.ibanet.org/IBA-committe...

I am impressed to see IBA committees championing work to help lawyers become a source of expertise that clients turn to for navigating the nature positive transition.’

and how this disrupts client operations and supply chains. Companies expect their lawyers to help them to be aware and navigate these challenges and find opportunities for building resilience:

‘As Legal and Environmental Manager at Aguas Nuevas (a private-owned water and sewer management company based in Chile) and as a private practitioner, I am seeing how climate change, nature degradation and water pollution are impacting our water, power and agricultural systems,

Julio Reyes, Co-Chair of the IBA Water Law Committee, and Legal and Environmental Manager at @Aguas Nueva — a private-owned water and sewer management company based in #Chile — discusses the new IBA Nature-Intelligent Legal Service series:

Canada-China deal emblematic of response to Trump administration’s tariffs Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office used strong words when, in January, it announced a new trade deal with China. ‘In a more divided and uncertain world,’ it said, Canada was working ‘with ur...

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office used strong words when it announced a new trade deal with China. ‘In a more divided and uncertain world,’ it said, Canada was working ‘with urgency and determination’ to diversify its trading relationships and ‘catalyse massive new levels of investment’.

Read about the Nature-Intelligent Legal Services’ series here: www.ibanet.org/IBA-committe...

Kleber Luiz Zanchim, Chair of the IBA Water Law Committee, commented on the launch of the IBA Nature-Intelligent Legal Services series and the landmark initiative's inclusion of guidance for #lawyers to address water scarcity concerns:

Read: ibanet.org/Marking-the-...

IBA President, Claudio Visco, on the global legal profession's and the IBA's commitment to securing #justice for #Ukraine, as the fourth anniversary of #Russia’s full-scale invasion of the country is marked:

Marking the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine 24 February 2026 marks the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. As you are likely aware, over the past four years the International Bar Association has provided significant assistance to Ukraine.

Read: ibanet.org/Marking-the-...

On the fourth anniversary of #Russia’s full-scale invasion of #Ukraine, Dr Mark Ellis, Executive Director of the International Bar Association, commented on the organisation's support of Ukraine:

Comment and analysis: War and famine push Sudan to the brink of collapse Sudan is plunging into a man-made humanitarian catastrophe, a crisis set to engulf over 20 million people within weeks.

New UN findings warn of "hallmarks of #genocide" as the RSF siege of #ElFasher intensifies. With millions trapped, human rights experts are calling the situation one of the most dire on Earth, as war and engineered famine push the nation toward total collapse.

📖 Read the full analysis from the IBA:

Greenland crisis to have significant implications for international order At a World Economic Forum event in Davos in January, US President Donald Trump ruled out using force to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous island belonging to Denmark, America’s NATO ally.

The Trump administration asserts that Greenland is under threat from Russia and China and that the US wishes to control the island for national security reasons. President Trump has said that the US would be better placed to defend Greenland in the event of an attack than Denmark would.

The IBA has launched the Nature-Intelligent Legal Services series – equipping #lawyers and #lawfirms with the tools to assess and respond to nature-related risks and opportunities arising from the accelerating #biodiversity and ecosystem crisis.

Read: www.ibanet.org/IBA-committe...

From Commitment to Action: The Next Steps in Holding Russia’s Leaders Accountable for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukraine The Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression in Ukraine could close a longstanding gap in international criminal accountability.

In an op-ed for @justsecurity.org, Pres. Zelenskyy’s Deputy Head of Office Iryna Mudra, Anton Korynevych & IBA's Mark Ellis outline why a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against #Ukraine is essential to hold #Russia's leaders accountable for the war.
www.justsecurity.org/131731/russi...

Russia: death of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny causes global outrage Reports of the death of jailed Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny first surfaced on Friday 16 February as most Russians were winding down for the weekend.

New findings suggest Alexei Navalny may have been targeted with a "frog toxin" a method designed to send a chilling message.
This IBA article breaks down why his death is a "systemic failure" of the Russian state and a catastrophic blow to the rule of law.
#Navalny #Russia #HumanRights #RuleOfLaw

Proscription of Palestine Action ‘a dangerous shift in the law’ The UK Home Secretary recently proscribed the group Palestine Action under terrorism legislation on the basis that it has carried out ‘a series of violent attacks against national security targets’.

The High Court just ruled that the UK government’s proscription of #PalestineAction was unlawful.
Global Insight analyses why the ban was such a "dangerous shift": it used terrorism laws to target property damage and protest, not violence.
🔗Read more here: www.ibanet.org/Proscription...

#RuleOfLaw

www.ibanet.org/Out-of-the-s...
www.ibanet.org/Heroes-or-vi...
www.ibanet.org/An-interview...

Out of the shadows Despite the dramatic demise of its leader, Wagner Group remains active in many of the world’s conflict zones, attracting accusations of atrocity crimes. But holding the outfit and its operatives to account is proving difficult.

A major pivot for the Wagner network. Russian intelligence is now using former Wagner recruiters to orchestrate sabotage across Europe, hiring "disposable" locals to target NATO infrastructure and humanitarian aid.

Global Insight breaks down why these mercenaries are so hard to prosecute here:

President Trump targeting the BBC is a major challenge to media freedom In November, US President Donald Trump filed a $10bn defamation lawsuit against the BBC over the editing of a speech he made on 6 January 2021, which featured in a Panorama documentary broadcast a wee...

US President Donald Trump filed a $10bn defamation lawsuit against the BBC over the editing of a speech he made on 6 January 2021, which featured in a Panorama documentary broadcast a week before the US presidential election in 2024.

24 February 2026, 1000 EST: on the 4th anniversary of #Russia’s full-scale invasion of #Ukraine, IBA Executive Director, Mark Ellis to participate in an American Society of International Law webinar on #Ukraine’s progress in advancing #accountability.

www.asil.org/event/russia...

US presidency: killings by immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota expose deepening rule of law crisis When US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti were shot and killed by immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota, bystanders captured videos that quickly spread online.

Killings by immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota expose deepening rule of law crisis. Viral videos of ICE killing Renee Good & Alex Pretti sparked outrage. President Trump called it "justified" & "vicious," though later admitted the deaths were "terrible" after footage went public.

International law: response to US aggression shows ‘collective, coordinated pushback still matters’ The arrest of the sitting president of Venezuela in January by the US military has sparked a debate about the implications for international law. Experts are clear, however, that despite concerns rece...

The arrest of the sitting president of Venezuela in January by the US military has sparked a debate about the implications for international law. Experts are clear, however, that despite concerns recent events do not mark the end of international law.

www.ibanet.org/Internationa...

Edition 1158 of IBA Legalbrief Africa: #SouthAfrica is pulling out its peacekeeping troops from the eastern #Congo, a region still battered by ongoing attacks and mounting casualties despite ongoing international mediation efforts.

Read: legalbrief.co.za/diary/legalb...

Read more and register to attend the free launch event on Thursday 12 March 2026, at the Debevoise & Plimpton offices in London: www.ibanet.org/IBA-report-l...

‘Phase 2 of the Raising the Bar project moves beyond representation to centre women’s lived experiences within the legal profession. Its findings provide a critical evidence base for meaningful, lasting change.’

IBA President Claudio Visco commented on the importance of Phase 2 of the Raising the Bar: Women in Law project: