That is why many countries, including Norway, still insist on placing international law squarely at the centre of their foreign policy. Others argue that international law shouldn't shape state behaviour: a framework that reliably shields repressive regimes, like those of Venezuela or Iran, is not worth defending. Advocates of international law must take these criticisms seriously, beginning with the charge that international law chiefly serves to protect tyrants. If the West resorts to subjective standards such as "defending liberty" to justify violating international law, repressive states will lose no time inventing their own excuses for violence. We in Norway agree and will continue to defend international law, even when it protects those who least deserve it.

Source: Bangkok Post April 03, 2026 23:59 UTC