From 30 October to 4 November, ELAC Deputy Director and IPS Executive Director Federica D’Alessandra participated to the 2022 International Bar Association Annual Conference in Miami, where she chaired a panel discussion as a part of the Rule of Law Forum Symposium titled ‘Ukraine: The Role and Rule of Law in Modern Conflict’.
Every year, the IBA Rule of Law Forum organises a symposium on the last Friday of the Annual Conference. This panel focused on the role of international law in modern conflict generally and the Ukraine crisis specifically. Panellists discussed war crimes enforcement/accountability, de-escalation/conflict resolution, the role of sanctions and the role of private business. As it concerns the Ukraine crisis, panellists considered whether or not the rule of law exists in conflicts involving superpowers and what can be done, through the enforcement of international norms and instruments, to restore the international rule of law in Ukraine. Speakers included, among others, 2022 Nobel Peace Laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk. You can watch the panel here.
The same day, Federica also conferred the IBA Rule of Law Forum and Lexis Nexis Lifetime Achievement Award to Benjamin Ferencz, best known as the last living Nuremburg prosecutor and a leading advocate for the criminalisation of wars of aggression. At the age of 103, Mr Ferencz remains one of the most influential voices in the field of global justice and the rule of law. This session provided the opportunity for participants to ask Mr Ferencez his views about the implications of the current moment for the international legal order, and where we should go moving forward. You can watch the award ceremony here.
