Najam Briefs UN Security Council in Arria Meeting on ’Sanctity of Treaties’

Dr. Adil Najam, Dean Emeritus and Professor of International Relations at the BU Pardee School, was invited to brief a United National Security Council Arria-formula meeting on the ‘Sanctity of Treaties’. The Arria-formula briefing was for all members of the Security Council, including all permanent members, and was chaired and open to all member states. Nearly 40 countries responded to the briefing with statements.

In his brief, Najam focused on the legal principle of ‘pacta sunt servanda’ (agreements must be kept) and argued that it is not just an ancient principle, it is a natural principle and a fundamental bedrock of international relations as a foundational basis of what we now call the international system.

He suggested that the Treaty System functions as a binding glue of the international system: when treaties are unilaterally abandoned, weakened, or disregarded, other elements of that system begin to unravel, setting dangerous precedents. Beyond their legal value, treaties should be understood as early-warning mechanisms, equipped with built-in dispute resolution frameworks that allow tensions to be addressed and managed before they escalate into open conflict.

The Professor pointed out that the alarming trend of disrespect for the sanctity of treaties is now like a set of ominous flashing red lights. The violations of international treaties can establish dangerous precedents and encourage harmful norms, including and especially on transboundary arrangements for the management of shared resources. He urged Security Council members to take the ominous signs of fraying respect for treaties very seriously and act early and proactively on emerging disputes before they escalate into unmanageable conflict.

The UN Security Council Arria-formula briefing was chaired and convened by Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN, and other briefers included David Nanopoulos, Chief of the Treaties Section, UN Office of Legal Affairs; Ahmer Bilal Soofi, President of the Research Society of International Law; and Prince Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, President of the International Peace Institute (IPI) and former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

Adil Najam is Dean Emeritus and Professor at the Pardee School of Global Studies at Boston University. He served as the Inaugural Dean of the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies from 2014-2022. He is also a former Vice-Chancellor of the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS). Read more about Najam on his Pardee School faculty profile.