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Modern international law contains certain elements that are of fundamental importance for international law system. Some examples of this are the territorial sovereignty, their political independence and their formal equality - elements that all law is based on, and which is of such importance that if they imagined away, said falling international law as a system completely. International law Regier on the use of military force, which is the topic of this contribution, is another example. Effective restrictions on states' use of military force against other states is of crucial importance for the law's other key elements is to have any reality. Without such restrictions, no real sovereignty and independence, no real rule of peaceful settlement of disputes, and further said. Adapted from the source document.

The Iraq War in 2003 represented a conflict of interest for the Norwegian government, as the situation called for them to choose between the relationship with the United States & international law. Being a small nation, it was in Norway's interest to protect both these interests. In the end, the government decided not to support the American-led invasion, with reference to international law. This decision has by some been interpreted as a shift away from Norway's traditional Atlanticist policy. This article illustrates how the second Bondevik Government succeeded in balancing different national interests in the decision-making process. On the one hand, it supported the UN & met the demands of the Norwegian public opinion. On the other hand, it managed to uphold its relationship with the United States. This balancing act illustrates that small states have limited room for manoeuvre in international politics, & will most likely continue to have so in the future. References. Adapted from the source document.

An overall discussion on the history and definition of piracy, how it affects world trade, what actions have been taken against it and how its existence is explained. According to the statistics of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which has kept statistics since 1990, six ships out of 1000 have been attacked by pirates primarily in Southeast Asia and Costal Africa. On average 350 attacks are conducted, costing 16 billion dollars and several lives each year. Since the September 11 attacks, the interest of research around piracy has increased. These studies have linked piracy with failed states and a depressed fishing industry. L. Pitkaniemi

A detailed look at the history of piracy from the 2nd century BCE to year 2009, including localization and methods of modern piracy. While centuries before the common era the Aegean Sea was known for its piracy, the modern image of pirates come from the 15th and 16th century Caribbean Sea. In the 18th century piracy all but disappeared only to appear again in the 1990's. Since then the focus has been on Somalia where pirates demand ransoms by capturing goods, ships and crew. Yet, surprisingly, since the late 20th century most piracies by far have been conducted in the South China Sea. L. Pitkaniemi

Provides an introduction to the history of modern Somalia followed by an analysis of the piracy epidemic that started in 2003. Political scientists consider Somalia the archetype of a failed state. The country is essentially divided in Somaliland, Puntland, Southern Somalia, and a number of smaller chiefdoms lacking a central regime and functioning government institutions. While pirate activity started already in 1991, it took twelve years before the activity became professional and well organized. After capturing several larger ships, such as Sirius Star and MV Faina, the pirates have been able to purchase better weaponry and communication devices making them even larger threats to passing ships. L. Pitkaniemi

After the Liberian war ended in 2003, national and international actors have been unified behind the battle against sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). While Liberia is still suffering from general violence, SGBV is leading the dark statistics with a wide margin. The problem runs deep in the Liberian society and international actors have had a hard time changing the situation because they do not understand Liberian legal praxis and the local governments suffers from both lack of knowledge and structural problems. Despite meager results the project has been seen as a success. Rape was criminalized in 2005 and the United Nation's Security Council resolution 1325 was implemented, both significantly increasing the rights of women and children. L. Pitkaniemi