Do Countries Have to Follow Rules? 2025

Endorsed by the International Law Section of the American Bar Association, the International Practice Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin, and the Madison Committee on Foreign Relations

The law that binds nations

The modern international system was built on state sovereignty, treaty obligations, and the United Nations Charter’s commitment to peace and human rights.¹ Yet recent departures from a rules-based international order raise urgent questions for attorneys, policymakers, and citizens alike.

Challenges in global governance

Human rights, trade, security, and environmental agreements all depend on shared rules and the expectation of compliance.² But what happens when states ignore or breach those rules?

At Do Countries Have to Follow Rules?, two leaders with decades of experience in law, diplomacy, and global security, Jonathan Granoff and Steven E. Hendrix, examine what’s at stake when the rule of law falters internationally and why attorneys in every field should take notice.

This program covers:

• The value of a rules-based international system
• Major recent departures from global compliance norms
• The risks these departures pose for the U.S. and the international community
• Ways to advocate for adherence to accepted international standards and laws

Do Countries Have to Follow Rules? offers a timely look at why international law matters and what it means for lawyers of all stripes when countries disregard it.

¹ See, e.g., U.N. Charter art. 2, ¶ 2 (recognizing the sovereign equality of all Member States); id. art. 2, ¶ 2 (requiring Members to fulfill treaty obligations in good faith); id. art. 2 ¶ 3 (obligating peaceful settlement of disputes); id. art. 1, ¶ 3 (committing Members to promote human rights and fundamental freedoms).

2 See, e.g., U.N. Charter art. 55 (human rights and cooperation); WTO Agreement (trade); Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (security); Paris Agreement (environment).