Ruling Pertaining to the Differences between France and New Zealand Arising from the Rainbow Warrior Affair
United Nations
19 U.N. Rep Intl. Arb. Awards 199 (1986)
French intelligence agents bombed and sank the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior while it was docked in New Zealand ahead of an anti-nuclear-testing protest, killing a crew member; New Zealand arrested and prosecuted two French agents, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and received 10-year sentences, while France pressured New Zealand to release them, arguing they had acted under superior orders. France and New Zealand agreed to submit their disputes over compensation and the agents' fate to U.N. Secretary-General Javier Perez de Cuellar for a binding decision.
Whether international law is flexible and efficient in resolving international disputes, including those involving non-state actors and human-rights or environmental issues.