Glossary

The international tribunal for the gravest crimes — and why an arrest warrant isn't a conviction.

The UN's top judicial body for disputes between states — distinct from the ICC in mandate and parties.

The treaty that founded the ICC: the four crimes it defines, and the two puzzles it leaves open.

The core rules of international humanitarian law — what they protect, and the limits of the Additional Protocols.

The UN body with binding power — and why a single opposing vote can block everything.

The treaty that binds only those who sign it — and why whoever never signed it can never violate it.

The agency that inspects and finds nuclear violations — and what does, or doesn't, happen next.

How war language switches off the inhibition to kill — and why its most effective form is cold, not enraged.

How three independent institutes measure it — and why they don't always agree on the same country.

Closed and electoral — and why in 2025 the United States lost its liberal democracy status according to V-Dem.

The middle category where transitions concentrate, in both directions.

The origin of the term in 2014 — and why Hungary is no longer the textbook case after April 2026.

Why it is the cross-cutting criterion of the other entries, with the WJP 2025 ranking.

Why the crime with the highest evidentiary threshold is never just about the numbers.

From South Africa to 1973: how it became a standalone crime, applicable anywhere.

The group of eleven emerging States: who belongs, how it decides and how much it weighs — with dated figures and sources.

How it works, how it learns and what rules really limit it: from Asimov's laws to the EU AI Act.