Self-defence in international law means that a country can defend itself against another country that is attacking it or about to attack it. Just like how you can defend yourself if someone tries to hurt you.
But there are rules! The country that is defending itself has to prove that the other country was actually attacking or about to attack them. They also cannot use more force than is necessary to defend themselves. This means that if someone is trying to push you, you can't hit them with a bat!
Sometimes, countries ask other countries to help them defend themselves. This is called collective self-defence. It's like when you ask for help from your friends or family if someone is trying to hurt you.
Overall, self-defence in international law is like a big game of tag. Countries can tag each other, but they have to follow the rules and not tag too hard!