Prohibition of Aggression and Use of Force in International Law
The topic “Prohibition of Aggression and Use of Force in International Law” was incorporated into the agenda of the Organization following a proposal by the Islamic Republic of Iran and deliberations by the Heads of Delegations during its Sixty-Third Annual Session, which took place in Kampala, Republic of Uganda, from the 7 to 12 September 2025. The topic was subsequently approved by the plenary.
The agenda item was deliberated at the Sixty-Third Annual Session for the first time. The prohibition of aggression and use of force is a peremptory norm under international law, firmly enshrined in the UN Charter, General Assembly resolutions, and affirmed by the ICJ underscoring its critical importance for AALCO Member States. Member States, during the deliberations at the Sixty-Third Annual Session objected to fabricated justifications for the use of force that were violative of Article 51 of the UN Charter such as pre-emptive self-defence, stressing that self-defence was lawful only in response to an actual armed attack.