1. In a non-international armed conflict, which provision guarantees basic protections?
A) Hague Conventions
B) Additional Protocol I
C) Common Article 3 of the Geneva Conventions
D) UN Charter, Chapter VII
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: Common Article 3 provides the minimum humanitarian standards for internal conflicts.
2. When must prisoners of war be released under international humanitarian law?
A) Only after a formal peace treaty
B) After cessation of active hostilities
C) If they pledge not to fight again
D) After trial in a neutral court
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: POWs must be repatriated without delay once active hostilities have ended.
3. Which of the following is NOT a peaceful means of dispute resolution under the UN Charter?
A) Negotiation
B) Mediation
C) Armed retaliation
D) Arbitration
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The use of force is prohibited unless authorized by the Security Council or in self-defense.
4. Customary international law is formed by:
A) UN General Assembly votes
B) Repeated state practice plus opinio juris
C) Academic writings
D) National statutes
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Custom requires both consistent state behavior and a belief in its legal obligation.
5. Under Article 51 of the UN Charter, self-defense is permitted only when:
A) Diplomacy fails
B) There is an armed attack
C) The Security Council is deadlocked
D) A country violates trade rules
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The right to self-defense arises only in response to an armed attack.
6. If a state’s treaty obligation conflicts with the UN Charter, which prevails?
A) The treaty
B) The Charter
C) The older instrument
D) The more specific agreement
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Article 103 of the UN Charter gives precedence to Charter obligations.
7. Treaties in force must be performed in good faith, known as:
A) Ex post facto
B) Pacta sunt servanda
C) Lex posterior derogat priori
D) Rebus sic stantibus
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: Pacta sunt servanda is a foundational principle of treaty law.
8. Which jurisdictional principle covers foreign acts threatening a state’s security?
A) Passive personality
B) Active nationality
C) Protective principle
D) Universal jurisdiction
Correct Answer: C
Explanation: The protective principle applies to acts outside the territory that harm a state’s essential interests.
9. What does Article 2(4) of the UN Charter prohibit?
A) Political criticism
B) Use or threat of force against another state’s integrity or independence
C) Treaty negotiation
D) Sanctions against non-members
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: This article prohibits aggression against the sovereignty of states.
10. Article 2(7) of the UN Charter affirms that:
A) The UN can override state sovereignty
B) Domestic matters are generally outside UN intervention
C) All human rights issues are domestic
D) Security Council can alter constitutions
Correct Answer: B
Explanation: The Charter protects states from UN interference in matters essentially within their domestic jurisdiction.
Read More: Questions on Public International Law