People in Six NATO Member States Say Governments Should Put International Law Ahead of National Interest

Most Trust World Court to Be Fair
Questionnaire with Findings, Methodology (PDF)
An opinion poll by WorldPublicOpinion.org finds that most people in six NATO Member States surveyed say their government should abide by international law and reject the view that governments are not obliged to follow such laws when they conflict with the national interest.
Most respondents in two out of three nations polled are also confident that the International Court of Justice, also known as the World Court, would treat their country fairly and impartially, the WPO poll shows.

The poll conducted in 21 nations from around the world asked respondents which of two statements is closest to their own view. The first statement said, "Our nation should consistently follow international laws. It is wrong to violate international laws, just as it is wrong to violate laws within a country": the second said, "If our government thinks it is not in our nation's interest, it should not feel obliged to abide by international laws."

On average, across the six NATO Member States (France, Germany, Poland, Turkey, UK and US) polled, 60% said that their country should put a higher priority on international law than national interest.
Among the NATO nations polled, support for abiding by international law is strongest in Germany, where 70% of those polled say their government should abide by international law, while just 26% say the national interest should take precedence.

Belief in the primacy of international law was also strong in four of the other NATO nations polled: 69% of Americans, 62% of Poles, 61% of French and 54% of Britons put international law ahead of their national interest. While no NATO nations produced a majority saying that the national interest justifies violating international law, in Turkey opinion was divided: with 46% giving priority to their national interest and 46% favouring compliance with international law.
Confidence in the World Court, which adjudicates cases involving international law, is also widespread. The court, which is based in The Hague and began operations in 1946, is the principal judicial body of the United Nations and consists of 15 justices from around the world.

Respondents were asked if there were a case involving their country, "how confident are you that the Court's decision would be fair and impartial?" Majorities expressed confidence in Germany (74%), Poland (73%), France (69%), UK (68%) and US (57%). Only in Turkey did a modest majority of respondents (51%) express a lack of confidence.
Ian Davis, director of NATO Watch, comments: "It appears that publics in NATO Member States show a fairly strong support for international law even when it presents difficulties for national interests. Most also trust the World Court to be impartial. In terms of NATO, the message is clear: it must uphold the highest standards of international law when choosing to threaten or use force, and in the application of force”.