Abstract

War and the future of the international order. For the members of the Bush administration, the clash between the USA and the UN over war in Iraq would appear to have weakened or irrevocably discredited the UN. Luigi Ferrajoli argues that, on the contrary, the conflict actually signals a revival of the UN, after a period characterised by its servile submission to imperialism. Thanks to the current international situation, and secure in the knowledge that world opinion supports its stance, the UN, by its refusal to countenance the invasion, has for the first time demonstrated its capacity to comply with the pacifist stipulations of the United Nations, giving them the force of international law. While the author does not draw conclusions which are entirely optimistic, he does however consider that the outcome of the invasion has modified the relative strength of the two opposing parties : the US and the movement of resistance which has gained expression worldwide