The Normative Status of Sovereignty and Due Diligence Obligations in International Law

On 29 February 2024, a roundtable was convened comprising 24 experts in public international law to discuss normative issues concerning the status of sovereignty and due diligence obligations in international law that have been brought to the forefront of discussions among states in debates concerning the application of international law to new technologies.

The roundtable featured two sessions led by separate chairs that each featured a prepared opening presentation from an expert on the subject. The discussions ran for a total of two and a half hours. Rather than experience with international law and new technologies, participants were invited based on reputable publications on the topics of sovereignty and obligations of conduct and general expertise in public international law. As such, while the discussion is prompted by normative issues in debates concerning the application of international law to new technologies, its findings are relevant to international law broadly and to a range of topics therein.

The roundtable informed a research report authored by the convenor that was undertaken as part of a BIICL project supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Beyond theoretical differences on international law: Identifying common ground among states on unlawful behaviour in cyberspace.