Machiko Kanetake (@machikokanetake.bsky.social)

[Opening Academic Year] Putting the obligations to co-operate and prevent international crimes above geopolitical divides When the International Court of Justice stressed the essential role of states' ‘obligation to co-operate’ in its advisory opinion on climate change of 23 July 2025, the pronouncement inevitably carried a deep sense of appeal for solidarity in the seas of geopolitical and military divisions, beyond the contour of climate change. While the Court's opinion can be characterised as 'historic' both in terms of processes and substantive clarity on applicable rules, such characterisation also captures the particular time and space in which the Court was placed in the summer of 2025, where rule- and science-based governmental decisions felt urgently needed. Read here the interview by the Asser Institute with four experts about the ICJ opinion. https://www.asser.nl/about-the-asser-institute/news/opening-academic-year-putting-the-obligations-to-co-operate-and-prevent-international-crimes-above-geopolitical-divides/