The Test of International Law Addressing Gross Violations of Human Rights in Conflicts

The ongoing humanitarian crises in today's conflict zones underscore the profound inadequacies of the international legal system, particularly in holding perpetrators of war crimes and crimes against humanity accountable. Civilians continue to suffer widespread violence, displacement and serious human rights violations with little or no effective consequence. Despite the existence of frameworks such as International Human Rights Law and international norms such as R2P, which should ensure that the international community never again fails to prevent mass atrocities such as genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, these mechanisms often fall short in practice, fostering a culture of impunity. In addition, the rise of far-right political agendas in some states has further escalated these conflicts and led to a disregard for humanitarian norms. The Israeli slaughter in Gaza is a stark example of these shortcomings, where relentless violence and targeted attacks continue despite widespread international condemnation. The International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision on the Israeli invasion of Gaza, despite the UN report on Israel's war crimes and crimes against humanity, has highlighted the limitations of its non-binding rulings.

This session will examine the failures of international law, focusing on the role of the ICC and the International Court of Justice (ICJ). It will also explore the difficulties international legal bodies face in enforcing decisions and holding states accountable, and will address the ICC's difficulties in prosecuting war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Moderator:Ghida Fakhry

Speakers:
1. Prof. S. Michael Lynk Former Human Rights Special Rapporteur
2. Prof. Cüneyt Yüksel Chairman, The Justice Commission of the Grand National Assembly of Türkiye; Istanbul MP of AK Party
3. Dr. Omar Suleiman Civil Right Activist
4. Carmel Agius Judge, International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals; Former President of the ICTY
5. Prof. Mohamed Badar Professor, Comparative and International Criminal Law, Northumbria University