Impediments to Peremptory Status of Prohibition on Use of Force

The theory of jus cogens entered into the international positive law by virtue of the 1969 Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties. According to its article 53, there are three criteria for identification of a peremptory norm which are (i) being a norm of general international law, (ii) non-derogability, and (iii) recognition and acceptance of non-derogability by the international community of States as a whole. Furthermore, belief in the peremptory status of the ban on use of force is widespread but an evaluation of the prohibition on use of force based on the above-mentioned criteria demonstrates that the prohibition on use of force could not be considered as a peremptory norm since such nature has not been sufficiently recognized by the States. furthermore, it is derogable and apologetic under Security Council’s authorization to use force and self-defense, respectively. In contrast, the prohibition on aggression is indeed non-derogable and without any exception and also its peremptory nature has been implicitly recognized by the international community of States as a whole. Thus, it appears that the peremptory norm of international law on use of force should be the prohibition on aggression.