That’s exactly the problem. An “obligation” means nothing if it’s just words on paper with no enforcement behind it. International law is nice in theory, but it only matters if someone has the power and will to enforce it. Otherwise, it's just theater.

The UN doesn’t have independent power—it’s a glorified debating club. All of its “authority” is borrowed from states that choose to back it, and when those states don’t care enough to act, the UN is effectively powerless. No state voluntarily gives up real force—do you seriously think the US would hand its carrier groups to the UN, or China would hand over control of its ballistic arsenal? Of course not. That’s fantasy.

So what’s left? Soft power. Influence, shame, PR pressure. But in the face of hard geopolitical interests, soft power gets ignored fast. States care about outcomes, not ideals. You can quote ICJ rulings all day, but if no one enforces them, they’re just moral noise.

International law is a beautiful concept—but completely detached from how raw power works in the current system.