Yesterday, 30 January, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
hosted the 19th annual conference dedicated to the Tartu Peace Treaty. This year’s seminar focused on the United Nations (UN), which marked its 80th anniversary last year, and on the organisation’s impact on the development of international law.
The UN was established after the Second World War with the aim of ensuring international peace and security and promoting global cooperation. Over the decades, both the organisation itself and its role in world politics have changed significantly. The seminar set out to examine the circumstances in which the UN was created, how it functions today, and the ways in which the UN’s activities have shaped the contemporary international legal order.
The day was opened by Jonatan Vseviov, Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, who focused on the question of what kind of world order we live in today and what steps Estonia must take to boost its visibility. This was followed by an overview of the UN’s nature, role and main areas of activity by René Värk, Director of the Ministry’s International Law Division.
Following the introductory presentations, the programme continued with four thematic sessions. In the first, focusing on human rights, Katre Luhamaa from the University of Tartu Faculty of Law discussed the UN’s contribution to the development of human rights, and Margot Endjärv, Adviser in the Ministry’s Human Rights Division, presented Estonia’s objectives in the UN Human Rights Council, of which Estonia is a member in 2026–2028. The next session, on the law of the sea, featured Kristi Land, Director General of the Ministry’s Legal Department, who spoke about the points of contact between the UN and developments in the law of the sea. Commodore Ivo Värk, Commander of the Estonian Navy, gave an overview of the challenges in the Baltic Sea region related to the law of the sea.
The second half of the conference focused on sanctions. Mihkel Märtens, Head of Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Raul Toomla, political scientist at the University of Tartu, spoke about the legal framework and practical effects of sanctions. In the final thematic session of the day, participants discussed the use of armed force in international relations and in peace operations; the discussion featured Andres Parmas, a judge at the Tallinn Circuit Court, and Major Leenu Org, representing the Estonian Defence Forces.
Additional information
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