LCP4801
ASSIGNMENT 2 SEMESTER 2 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 2025
, International Law
Question 1
Following the conference on decolonising international law, the following responses
address the inquiries made regarding the TWAIL movement.
1.1 What does the acronym TWAIL stand for? (4)
TWAIL stands for "Third World Approaches to International Law". This is a critical
intellectual movement that examines and challenges the structures and practices of
international law from the perspective of the Global South, also referred to as the ‘Third
World’ (Anghie, 2006).
1.2 What informed the development of the TWAIL movement? (5)
The TWAIL movement was informed by the historical experiences of colonization,
oppression, and the marginalization of Third World countries within the international
legal system. During colonial times, international law was instrumentalized to justify
European imperial domination over non-European territories, often denying the
sovereignty and self-determination of colonized nations (Anghie, 2006).
Furthermore, the persistence of structural inequalities post-independence, where
international law continued to reflect the dominance of Western powers in global
governance, inspired the emergence of TWAIL. This movement emerged as a scholarly
and activist response seeking to expose and dismantle the lingering colonial structures
embedded within international law and to promote an equitable legal order that reflects
the interests and realities of the Global South (Mutua, 2000).
1.3 What are the objectives of TWAIL? (6)
TWAIL has several critical objectives:
Firstly, it seeks to unveil and critique the colonial legacies and power
imbalances perpetuated through international law.
ASSIGNMENT 2 SEMESTER 2 2025
UNIQUE NO.
DUE DATE: 2025
, International Law
Question 1
Following the conference on decolonising international law, the following responses
address the inquiries made regarding the TWAIL movement.
1.1 What does the acronym TWAIL stand for? (4)
TWAIL stands for "Third World Approaches to International Law". This is a critical
intellectual movement that examines and challenges the structures and practices of
international law from the perspective of the Global South, also referred to as the ‘Third
World’ (Anghie, 2006).
1.2 What informed the development of the TWAIL movement? (5)
The TWAIL movement was informed by the historical experiences of colonization,
oppression, and the marginalization of Third World countries within the international
legal system. During colonial times, international law was instrumentalized to justify
European imperial domination over non-European territories, often denying the
sovereignty and self-determination of colonized nations (Anghie, 2006).
Furthermore, the persistence of structural inequalities post-independence, where
international law continued to reflect the dominance of Western powers in global
governance, inspired the emergence of TWAIL. This movement emerged as a scholarly
and activist response seeking to expose and dismantle the lingering colonial structures
embedded within international law and to promote an equitable legal order that reflects
the interests and realities of the Global South (Mutua, 2000).
1.3 What are the objectives of TWAIL? (6)
TWAIL has several critical objectives:
Firstly, it seeks to unveil and critique the colonial legacies and power
imbalances perpetuated through international law.
