Russia’s unprecedented assault on the prohibition of the use of force has challenged the international legal order at its core. While brutal attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure continue every day, states still struggle in enforcing international law and ensuring far-reaching and long-lasting political, legal and financial consequences for the aggressor.
In the world of shifting interest poles, decreasing trust and lack of solidarity, everything is interrelated and much needs to be balanced in the face of dynamic evolution of processes dangerous for the credibility of international law, international peace, security and regional stability. Comprehensive, just and long-lasting peace demands not only political will and diplomatic efforts, but also timely and appropriate legal decisions in defence of international law.
The international conference will bring together politicians, academics and experts to discuss different international law dimensions, their role and implications for the negotiations towards just, long lasting and comprehensive peace for Ukraine.
First Panel “Shifting International Order: Peace and Security” will address implications of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine on the regional security, international relations, fundamental principles of international law and its effectiveness in response to hybrid threats (cyber-attacks, Baltic sea incidents, disinformation campaigns etc.).
Second Panel “Comprehensive Justice for Ukraine: Individual Accountability and State Responsibility” will address international justice efforts towards ensuring individual criminal responsibility for international crimes committed, including the crime of aggression – from investigations in national jurisdictions to investigations at the International Criminal Court and Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression. Forums for state responsibility will be discussed also, including cases of Ukraine against Russia in the International Court of Justice and the Register of Damage established as the first step of an international reparations mechanism.
Third Panel “Aiming at Humanity: Human Rights and Humanitarian Law” is devoted to exploring issues of killings of prisoners of war, mass deportations and forced displacement of thousands of civilians, including children, to the Russian Federation, the temporarily occupied territories and Belarus. The panel will discuss different legal and policy instruments to make sure that prisoners of war are protected in compliance with international humanitarian law and deported children that are subjected to brainwashing, speaking Russian and living in Russian families and even used for propaganda and military purposes, are being brought back and responsibility for indoctrination enforced.
Fourth Panel “Making International Law Work: Sanctions & Enforcement” will focus on the role of sanctions imposed by international organisations and separate countries towards enforcement of international law, including the possibility of seizure of Russia’s frozen assets as collective countermeasures in the international law.
Conference program and registration link will be announced in August.