Public International Law & Policy Group

PILPG Journal of Frontline Scholarship

eISSN 3071 060X · Arlington, Virginia · Open Access · Est. 2025

PILPG Journal of Frontline Scholarship is guided by the belief that meaningful progress in peace and justice is driven by collaboration across generations, disciplines, and experiences. The mission of the publication is to elevate practitioner-informed, academically grounded, and forward-looking analysis that can shape real-world outcomes in conflict resolution, accountability, and international law. We aim to bridge the gap between theory and practice, while mentoring the next generation of peacebuilders and legal experts through intentional co-authorship. By centering voices from the field and providing space for emerging professionals, the publication promotes a more inclusive and dynamic vision of global legal scholarship. Upholding high standards of intellectual contribution through peer review and editorial oversight, PILPG Journal of Frontline Scholarship is committed to producing work that is both rigorous and relevant. As part of our mission to democratize knowledge, all publications are freely accessible and can be found on this page.

Submissions are by invitation only. We do not accept unsolicited articles.

Latest Issue

Crafting Peace Under Duress: How Dayton Ended the Bosnian War by Entrenching the Structures of Dysfunctional Governance

By: Dr. Paul R. Williams & Greta Ramelli

Crafting Peace Under Duress: How Dayton Ended the Bosnian War by Entrenching the Structures of Dysfunctional Governance

This article analyzes the constitutional architecture established by the 1995 Dayton Peace Agreement and argues that Bosnia and Herzegovina's current crisis, marked by secessionist rhetoric, defiance of state institutions, and stalled EU accession, is the predictable outcome of a constitutional order designed to end a war, not to sustain durable democratic governance. Drawing on one author's firsthand participation in the Bosnian delegation and subsequent decades of peace-process experience, it traces how the extraordinary wartime pressures of the negotiations subordinated constitutional design to military enforcement, producing a framework of territorial decentralization, ethnic power-sharing, and veto mechanisms borrowed from an inherently undemocratic Yugoslav template. The article concludes by proposing pathways for reform, including curbing veto-based obstruction, aligning change with EU accession and civic rights, and shifting from international supervision toward legitimate domestic governance.

Read the full article here .
August 2026 · Constitutional Peacebuilding · Bosnia · Vol. 2 · No. 5

Journal Articles
Property Restitution

Reclaiming Syria: Law, Land, and the Politics of Restitution after Conflict

Analyzes property restitution in post-conflict Syria, tracing patterns of dispossession to six decades of state-directed land law manipulation, and proposes an independent hybrid Restitution Commission grounded in comparative experience from Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq, Cyprus, and Burundi.

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Vol. 2 · No. 3 · Jul 2026
Accountability

The Forcible Displacement of Ukrainian Children: Abduction as an Element of Genocide and the Struggle for Return

Argues that Russia's systematic abduction and forced adoption of Ukrainian children may satisfy the actus reus of Article II(e) of the Genocide Convention, and evaluates accountability mechanisms including the ICC arrest warrants against Putin and Lvova-Belova.

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Vol. 2 · No. 4 · Jul 2026
Ukraine Journal Articles
Peace Process

Intricacies and Challenges in Building a Lasting Peace for Ukraine

Examines Ukraine-Russia peace negotiations from 2014 to 2025, identifying recurring patterns in Russia's approach and outlining key elements for a durable peace, including Ukrainian leadership, a monitored ceasefire, and binding legal commitments.

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Vol. 2 · No. 2 · Apr 2026
Accountability

Toward Justice for Ukraine: Designing a Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression

Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine has exposed the absence of a forum to prosecute the crime of aggression. This article reviews four institutional models for a Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression and explains why the Council of Europe framework emerged as the most viable option.

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Vol. 1 • No. 3 • Nov 2025
Accountability

Ukraine's Territorial Integrity Under Pressure of War and Diplomacy: Whither International Law?

This article examines the legal and diplomatic pressures on Ukraine's territorial integrity during Russia's invasion. It reviews Russia's attempts to alter borders through unlawful force, the legal limits on territorial concessions in peace talks and the risks of legitimizing occupation. It argues that protecting Ukraine's recognized borders is essential for global security and the integrity of international law.

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Vol. 1 • No. 4 • Nov 2025
Post-conflict State Building

The United States–Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund as a New Paradigm in Post-Conflict Reconstruction Finance

This article analyzes the United States-Ukraine Reconstruction Investment Fund Agreement of April 2025 and examines how an equity based partnership model can reshape reconstruction finance by aligning investment incentives with strategic reconstruction and critical minerals development goals.

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Vol. 1 • No. 1 • Aug 2025

PILPG Journal of Frontline Scholarship is published by the Public International Law and Policy Group (PILPG)
Arlington, Virginia, United States
e-ISSN: 3071-060X

© Copyright Public International Law and Policy Group, 2026.
The Public International Law & Policy Group encourages the use of this document. Any part of the material may be duplicated with proper acknowledgment.