Dead or Alive? The Challenges of International Law and International Criminal Law in the Middle East

Name: Dead or Alive? The Challenges of International Law and International Criminal Law in the Middle East
Start: 2024-11-13T18:00:00+01:00
Location: Möllwaldplatz 5, 1040 Wien, Austria

Schedule

Wed Nov 13 2024 at 06:00 pm

UTC+01:00

Location

Möllwaldplatz 5, 1040 Wien, Austria | Wien, WI

WELCOME
· HANNES SWOBODA, former MEP and President of the IIP
PANEL
· RALPH JANIK, International law expert, Sigmund Freud Private University, and member of the IIP Advisory Board
· ASTRID REISINGER CORACINI, University of Vienna, Department of European, International, and Comparative Law
MODERATION
· STEPHANIE FENKART, Director of the IIP
CONTENT
International humanitarian law (IHL) and international criminal law (ICL) hitting the headlines of newspapers usually does not mean good news for peace and stability in the world. Russia’s war against Ukraine and the wars in the Middle East have led to renewed debates on the value, challenges, and importance of IHL and ICL, albeit in different ways. While the US and many other Western states welcomed the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin, Prosecutor Khan’s request to issue arrest warrants against three leading Hamas terrorists (all of whom have since been killed), Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and his defense minister Yoav Gallant led to a variety of reactions from the global community. Accusations of “double standards” are looming.
Meanwhile, the genocide proceedings initiated by South Africa against Israel at the International Court of Justice were appreciated by many in the so-called Global South. At the same time, many Western countries and traditional allies of Israel, most importantly the US and Germany, have accused South Africa of instrumentalizing international law. While Israel claims to act in line with humanitarian law in the context of self-defense following the horrific Hamas attack on Israel on the 7th of October 2023, international human rights organizations accuse it of committing war crimes and mass atrocities.
In this context, we want to debate the actual content and role of the law of armed conflict, the prohibition of genocide, and international law as a whole: How humanitarian is humanitarian law in the context of self-defense? What is at stake for the International Criminal Court, and how can it enforce its verdicts once confirmed? Why do we need IHL and ICL, and how important would the depoliticization of conversations be for the purpose and objectives of these institutions?
PLEASE SHARE WITH YOUR NETWORK!
The discussion will be held in English.
By participating in this event, you agree that any photos or recordings taken that include footage of your person may be published or used in any other way by the organizers of the event.