Introduction
War is not an abstraction, but mass killings brought to the level of an industry. Humanity has prohibited killing in the private sphere, but still tolerates it on the scale of states, hiding behind slogans and the “right of the strong.” It is time to translate the moral imperative “do not kill” into a working international norm: war is detected — obliged to stop it.
1) Legal definition of war
– Trigger: 1,000 or more dead as a result of an armed conflict (in total for all sides, for any period) — this is war even without its formal declaration.
– Automaticity: the fact of crossing the threshold is recorded by an independent verification mechanism; from this moment the obligations of the states-participants of the Declaration are launched.
2) The crime of war and personal responsibility
– Elements of the crime: unleashing war, participation on the side of the aggressor, organization and propaganda of war.
– Qualification: especially grave crimes without a statute of limitations.
– Responsibility: individual (leaders, commanders, propagandists), command (for orders and inaction), corporate (for financing and logistics of aggression).
– Jurisdiction: universal, with the right of detention and extradition of suspects on the territory of the states-participants.
3) Obligations of the states-participants
– Within 72 hours after the trigger is activated: convening of a coordination mechanism, approval of a public plan of suppression.
– Ladder of measures:
1. Diplomatic demarches and mediation.
2. Targeted economic and financial sanctions.
3. Criminal prosecution of organizers and propagandists of war.
4. An international mission to protect civilians, ensure a ceasefire and access for humanitarian aid.
– The aim of the measures: termination of killings and restoration of law and order. No regime changes, no annexations, no “punitive” operations.
4) Global “police” function — without monopoly and abuses
– Bearer: a coalition of states with legal personality under a public mandate and transparent control, and not a single “police” state.
– Principles: legality, proportionality, temporariness, accountability.
– Control:
– Independent verification of facts and the number of victims.
– Public reports every 30 days.
– External audit of missions and sanctions lists.
– Judicial safeguards and mechanisms of appeal.
5) Priority of protection of life
– Protection of civilians — above any political claims.
– Self-defense is permissible, but does not turn into aggression.
– Humanitarian access, evacuations, restoration of critical infrastructure — mandatory elements of the plan.
6) Why this norm is needed now
– The historical experience of the 20th century showed how quickly wars get out of control. The 21st century stands on the threshold of a new global escalation.
– The scale of violence, technologies and the speed of the spread of conflicts make the “unregulated field of war” unacceptable.
– We are one civilization on one planet. We are to live here and to raise children here. The common duty is to suppress mass killings wherever they occur.
7) How this is implemented
– Declaration of states: recognition of the threshold of war and adoption of obligations to act.
– Creation of an independent verifier (a consortium of universities, NGOs, UN agencies) to record the threshold of 1,000+ dead.
– Establishment of a coordination mechanism: sanctions, law enforcement, humanitarian missions.
– Harmonization of criminal legislation: implementation of the elements of the crime of war, universal jurisdiction, witness protection.
– Public register: conflicts, measures, enforcement, responsibility.
Conclusion
The world is not obliged to endure mass killings only because they are committed not by individual criminals, but by states. The new norm is simple and practical: the legal threshold defines war, and the countries that have signed the Declaration are obliged to stop it — collectively, legally, transparently. This is a step of civilization to the next level, where life is more important than slogans, and law is stronger than force.
Call to action
– To states: to join the Declaration and implement the obligations.
– To societies and cities: to support the norm and demand its enforcement.
– To institutions: to ensure verification, contro
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