Cluster C: Legal

The authority of international law depends on its consistent application and acceptance amongst Member States, both of which are placed under strain when major powers decide to selectively comply. Whilst institutions such as the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice have achieved meaningful outcomes since their founding, their jurisdiction is frequently contested, and rulings unevenly enforced. This tension between law as a universal standard and law as a strategic instrument should be the main focus of this cluster. Delegates should examine how institutions can maintain credibility in a system where compliance is regarded as conditional. Delegates should pay particular attention to the procedural and political mechanisms by which accountability can be preserved even when strategic interests diverge.