Not Dead Yet: International Law and Human Rights in an Age of Uncertainty

In an era when headlines declare international law “dead” and conflicts rage across Palestine, Ukraine, and Sudan, a groundbreaking nine-country survey published in a report from Lex International reveals a surprising truth: the global public overwhelmingly rejects the idea that “might makes right.” From Indonesia to the United States, 80-95% of respondents oppose torture, starvation sieges, and attacks on hospitals—even when framed as serving national security.  

In this lunch talk, the lead author of the report, Federica du Pasquier – practitioner-in-residence in the International Human Rights Clinic  – will discuss what this research shows and how we can take action to strengthen international frameworks. 

At humanity’s most dangerous inflection point in decades, international law isn’t dying—it’s waiting for the political will to defend it.