Indispensability of International Law for National Security. Advice to a Prince

Abstract This article considers particular aspects of the relationship between national security and the international legal system, against the backdrop of renewed geopolitical tensions. Instead of focusing here on applicable legal norms and relevant international institutions, arguments of indispensability of international law are offered, viewed through the lens of security interests and related communicative processes. Disparate snapshots are provided to foster conversations between international legal advisers and policymakers. Reflecting on ways to communicate a renewed understanding of national security dividends accruing from the international legal order may help bridge perceived contradictions in the analysis of fundamental interests. This may be combined with a realization of the potentially huge transactional and other costs of being seen to attempt weakening or circumventing it. Both benefits and costs are compounded by the increasing complexity, interconnectivity and mutual interdependence brought by globalization with momentous technological and social developments, which may trigger large-scale transformation for the better, but also leads to increased vulnerabilities.