Editing Declaration of war (section)

==Legality==
The legality of who is competent to declare war varies between nations and forms of government. In many nations, that power is given to the [[head of state]] or [[monarch|sovereign]]. The official international protocol for declaring war was defined in the [[Hague Conventions of 1899 and 1907|Hague Convention (III) of 1907 on the Opening of Hostilities]].

Since 1945, developments in international law such as the [[United Nations Charter]], which prohibits both the threat and the use of force in international conflicts, have made declarations of war largely obsolete in international relations,<ref name="HOL"></ref> though such declarations may have relevance within the domestic law of the belligerents or of neutral nations. The UN Security Council, under powers granted in articles 24 and 25, and Chapter VII of the Charter, may authorize [[collective action]] to maintain or enforce international peace and security. Article 51 of the United Nations Charter also states that: "Nothing in the present Charter shall impair the inherent right to individual or collective self-defence if an armed attack occurs against a state."<ref name="UN_Charter"/>