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Research biography

Jeremy Farrall has a global reputation as a leading scholar of the United Nations (UN) Security Council (UNSC), its use of peacekeeping and sanctions to maintain international peace and security, and the impact of its decision-making on the rule of law. In his scholarship Professor Farrall draws on high-level personal practical experience with the United Nations, including in the areas of peacemaking, peacekeeping and peacebuilding. His research publications are high-quality and high-impact, on both the academic and policy-making fronts. He has an excellent Australian Research Council (ARC) grant track-record.

Research projects & collaborations

• Conceptualising Influence on the UN Security Council: This research collaboration draws together leading practitioners and interdisciplinary scholars to examine how influence is built and exercised in and on the UN Security Council (with A/Prof. Chris Michaelsen, UNSW Law, A/Prof Jochen Prantl, ANU CAP, & Dr. Jeni Whalan, UQ). Projected output: Special Issue, Leiden Journal of International Law (2020).
• Navigating the Backlash against Global Law and Institutions: This ANU Global Research Partnerships Project brings together Chief Investigators from ANU Law, the University of Maryland and Indiana University to examine the backlash against International Law by populist and or nationalist movements in a growing number of countries around the world. (with Professor Peter Danchin, Associate Professor Jolyon Ford, Prof. Shruti Rana & Dr. Imogen Saunders)) Project outputs: High-Quality Journal Articles in the American Journal of International Law (2020), the Australian Yearbook of International Law (2020), and the Maryland Journal of International Law (2020).
• Influencing the UN Human Rights Council: An Australia-Asia-Pacific Agenda: This project, pitched to the Australian Research Council under the Discovery Projects grant scheme, brings together a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary team to examine how Australia and other countries from the Asia-Pacific region have exercised influence in their recent stints as members of the UN Human RIghts Council (with Associate Professor Amy Maguire, University of Newcastle, Associate Professor Susan Harris Rimmer, Griffith University, & Dr. Fiona McGaughey, University of Western Australia.
• Shaping International Norms After Global Upheaval: Australia's Role: This project, pitched to the Australian Research Council under the Special Research Initiatives scheme, brings together a multi-institutional, interdisciplinary team to examine how Australia has previously shaped the development of international norms and institutions following major episodes of global upheaval (with Associate Professor Christopher Michaelsen, University of New South Wales, & Dr. Madelaine Chiam, La Trobe University.

Grants

Professor Farrall has been Chief Investigator and/or Fellow on the following major Australian Research Council (ARC) Grants:

1. 'Leveraging Power and Influence on the UN Security Council: The role of Elected Members'

   An ARC Discovery Project (2015-2019, $488,000)

   Chief Investigators: A/Prof C Michaelsen UNSW, Prof J Farrall ANU, A/Prof J Prantl ANU & Dr J. Whalan UQ

   Project Summary: This project examines the fundamental problem of how elected members on the Security Council can influence Council decision-making and norm development. Assembling a research team of international lawyers and political scientists, the project provides a rigorous, multi-disciplinary evaluation of why and when non-permanent Council members have succeeded in impacting the Council's decision-making process, despite lacking the veto power available to the five permanent members. Drawing on recent experiences of elected members, including Australia, the project advances evidence-based and empirically-grounded policy proposals designed to increase the capacity of elected members to exercise power and influence over the Council's agenda and policy.

   Website: https://scan-un.org

2. Strengthening the Rule of Law through the UN Security Council

   An ARC Linkage Project (2011-2014, $658,000)

   Chief Investigators: Prof H. Charlesworth & Dr J. Farrall; ARC Linkage Industry Fellow: Dr J Farrall

   Partners: ANU Centre for International Governance and Justice and the Australian Civil-Military Centre.

   Project Summary: Since the end of the Cold War, the UN Security Council has emphasised its commitment to the rule of law, yet it has not always lived up to this promise. This project will examine the relationship between the Security Council and the rule of law, particularly in the areas of peacebuilding, sanctions and the use of force. It will identify new approaches to enhance respect for the rule of law, including through the effective coordination of civilian and military operations, as well as the ways in which Australia can best promote such approaches at the international level. It will produce a series of scholarly publications and practical policy guidelines for international institutions.

   Website: http://quicklink.anu.edu.au/srol

3. Building Democracy and Justice after Conflict

   An ARC Federation Fellowship Project and an ARC Discovery Project (2005-2010, $620,000)

   ARC Project Team: Prof H Charlesworth (Chief Investigator), Dr. B Bowden, Dr. J Farrall & Dr S Harris-Rimmer

   Project Summary: Weak governance is a cause of terrorism. Australia is increasingly involved in nation-building projects, both in its region and internationally. This project will build Australia's expertise in the ways that international law can promote democracy and justice after conflict. It will develop guidelines for states and organisations involved in peace and nation-building. The project will thus contribute to safeguarding Australia by increasing Australia's capacity to engage with, and interpret itself to, its neighbours and the broader international community, as well as by tackling the threat of terrorism.

Books & edited collections

• Drew, P., Farrall, J., McLaughlin, R. & Oswald, B., eds (2020), Rwanda Revisited: Genocide, Civil War, and the Transformation of International Law (Leiden and Boston: Brill Nijhoff 2020).
• Farrall, J., & Charlesworth, H., eds (2016), Strengthening the Rule of Law through the UN Security Council (Oxon and New York: Routledge, 2016).
• Farrall, J., & Rubenstein, K., eds. (2009), Sanctions, Accountability and Governance in a Globalised World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009).
• Bowden, B., Charlesworth, H. & Farrall, J., (2009), The Role of International Law in Rebuilding Societies after Conflict: Great Expectations (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2009)..
• Farrall, J., (2007), United Nations Sanctions and the Rule of Law (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2007 (hardback), 2008 (reprint), 2009 (paperback), Volume 56 of series Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law, xxv & 542 pp). Described as ‘an outstanding work of scholarship’ by Justice Michael Kirby (Australian Law Journal) and a ‘veritable encyclopedia on sanctions’ by Prof. Jan Klabbers (International Organizations Law Review).

Refereed journal articles

• Farrall, J., Loiselle, M., Michaelsen, C., Prantl, J., & Whalan, J. (2020), ‘Elected Member Influence in the UN Security Council’ (2020) 33(1) Leiden Journal of International Law 101-115.
• Farrall, J., (2020), ‘The State of the UN Security Council Amid the Populist Challenge’ (2020) 35 Maryland Journal of International Law (in press).
• Danchin, P., Farrall, J., Ford, J., Rana, S., Saunders, I., & Verhoeven, D. (2020), ‘Navigating the Backlash Against Global Law and Institutions’ (2020) 38 Australian Yearbook of International Law 33-77.
• Danchin, P., Farrall, J., Rana, S. & Saunders, I. (2020), ‘The Pandemic Paradox in International Law’ 114 American Journal of International Law 598-607.
• Farrall, J., (2016), ‘Can Elected Members Make a Difference in the UN Security Council? Australia’s Experience in 2013-2014’ (with J. Langmore) (2016) 22(1) Global Governance 59-77.
• Farrall, J., (2014), ‘Rule of Accountability or Rule of Law? Regulating the UN Security Council’s Accountability Deficits’ (2014) 19(3) Journal of Conflict & Security Law 389-408.

Book chapters

• Farrall, J., & Michaelsen, C. (2020), ‘Contributions to UN Sanctions Reform by Non-Permanent Security Council Members’, in N. Schrijver & N. Blokker (eds.), The Role of Non-Permanent Security Council Members in the Pursuit of Peace and Justice (Leiden, Brill Nijhoff), 217-236.
• Farrall, J., (2016), 'The use of sanctions by international organizations’ in J.K. Cogan, I. Hurd & I. Johnstone (eds.), Oxford Handbook of International Organizations (Oxford University Press, 2016), 603-621.
• Farrall, J., (2016), ‘The Use of UN Sanctions to Address Mass Atrocities’, in T. Dunne & A. Bellamy (eds.), Oxford Handbook on the Responsibility to Protect (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2016), 655-672.
• Farrall, J., (2016), ‘Regulating the Rule of Law through the Security Council’ (with H. Charlesworth ) in J. Farrall & H. Charlesworth (eds.), Strengthening the Rule of Law through the UN Security Council (Oxon and New York: Routledge, 2016), 1-10.
• Farrall, J., (2016), ‘The UN Security Council as regulator and subject of the rule of law: conflict or confluence of interest?’ (with M. Loiselle) in J. Farrall & H. Charlesworth (eds.), Strengthening the Rule of Law through the UN Security Council (Oxon and New York: Routledge, 2016), 287-298.

Conference papers & presentations

• Farrall, J., (2019), ‘Assets and Pathways of Influence for elected members on the UN Security Council’, Permanent Mission of Australia to the United Nations, New York, 13 December 2019 (invited expert presenter).
• Farrall, J., (2019), ‘Navigating the Backlash against International Law and Institutions’, Australian Embassy, Washington, DC, 16 October 2019 (invited expert presenter).
• Farrall, J., (2018), ‘Revisiting UN Sanctions Impact Assessment’, International Law Association Biennial Conference, Sydney, 23 August 2018.
• Farrall, J., (2018), ‘The role of Elected Members in Brokering Sanctions Reform’, International Law Association Biennial Conference, Sydney, 22 August 2018.
• Farrall, J., (2018), ‘Antipodean Influence in the UN Security Council: How Australia and New Zealand Shaped Decision-making on Syria’s Humanitarian Crisis’ (with Jeni Whalan), Australia and New Zealand Society of International Law Annual Meeting, Wellington, 6 July 2018.

Currently supervising

• Michael Morison

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

• David Healey

  Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

  Topic: Post-conflict policing in Afghanistan Have coalition policing efforts been effective since the 2001 intervention? The thesis will focus not only on policing efforts but whether or not the criminal laws are sufficient enough to enable the Afghan National Police to...

Current courses

Previous courses

How my works connects with public policy

Dr. Farrall's research seeks to shape international policy and law reform. He frames his research findings in a policy-relevant and accessible manner, so that they can shape evidence-based policy.

His first book,United Nations Sanctions and the Rule of Law (Cambridge University Press, 2007) advanced a pragmatic model of the rule of law, comprising five basic decision-making principles designed to increase the United Nations sanctions system’s capacity to reinforce the rule of law. The book culminates in a set of policy recommendations targeting key policy makers and analysts in the field of UN sanctions.

As part of the ARC Linkage Project on ‘Strengthening the Rule of Law through the UN Security Council’, Dr. Farrall drafted a series of policy proposals designed to enhance the Security Council’s capacity to strengthen the rule of law when it employs three critical tools for the maintenance of international peace and security, namely peace operations, sanctions and force.

The policy proposals were launched by Australia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, H.E. Gillian Bird, at UN Headquarters on 11 March 2016. They were then discussed and endorsed on the same day by a hundred representatives of the UN diplomatic international legal community, in a meeting that took place in UN Conference Room 7 under the standing UN General Assembly item ‘UN Member States Dialogue on the Rule of Law at the International Level’. The proposals were then published by the UN Security Council an official UN Security Council document: UN doc. S/2016/397.

Dr. Farrall's current ARC Discovery Project, with A/Prof. Chris Michaelsen, A/Prof. Jochen Prantl and Dr. Jeni Whalan, entitled ‘Leveraging Power and Influence on the UN Security Council: the role of elected members’, also prioritises outreach and policy engagement. It will produce evidence-based policy recommendations for strengthening the capacity of elected Security Council members to make a difference during their two-year elected terms on the Council.