Tracing the Historical Cycle of Colonialism as a Crime Against Peace and Security

This post shows how Global South representatives at the UN sought to redefine the concept of international crimes by arguing for the inclusion of colonialism and neo-colonial practices as a crime against peace and security. The earlier debates on the criminalisation of colonialism expose the uneven distribution of power and voice. Reflexive moments form part of a recurring cycle, where Northern legal norms are critically received and re-negotiated by the South, re-injected into the international legal order, and finally re-appropriated by the North in a way that dilutes their transformative potential.