At a live podcast event, I discussed with experts the history of international law and whether modern institutions are fit for purpose.
Even though the underlying norms of international law, such as the protection of non-combatants in war, are widely shared across times and cultures, modern institutions like the International Criminal Court are under pressure.
In the discussion, I highlighted that it would be time to create strong enforcement mechanisms for international law – which would only be a logical step: first, laws were unwritten and became treaties; 125 years ago the international community realised it was necessary to create courts that could apply them. Now it would be time for the next step to enable courts to enforce them.
To mark the Hague’s 125th anniversary as the city of peace and justice, the Asymmetrical Haircuts podcast team, The Hague Humanity Hub, and Just Peace organised the event with professor of international criminal law Laila Sadat, the Iranian human rights lawyer and activist Shadi Sadr, and Andrea Lapunzina Veronelli from the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
Listen to the full episode of the Asymmetrical Haircuts live podcast on 125 years of peace and justice, with Janet H. Anderson and Stephanie van den Berg.