Our third Plenary Panel turned to the challenges facing international human rights law in a rapidly changing global order — and to the opportunities for renewal of the international human rights system.
Against the backdrop of rising authoritarianism, democratic backsliding and geopolitical fragmentation, the discussion explored how human rights institutions can uphold core principles while adapting to new global realities. The panel addressed questions of legitimacy and effectiveness, the impact of declining trust in multilateral institutions, and the responses of global and regional human rights courts and institutions to these growing pressures.
The panel was convened by Gerd Oberleitner, Professor of International Law, UNESCO Chair in Human Rights and Human Security, and Director of the European Training and Research Centre for Human Rights and Democracy at the University of Graz, and featured Violeta Moreno-Lax, Wübben Foundation Professor of International Law and Director of the Centre for Fundamental Rights at the Hertie School; Lauri Mälksoo, Professor of International Law at the University of Tartu and Member of the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe; Hélène Tigroudja, Professor at Aix-Marseille University and Member and Vice-Chair of the UN Human Rights Committee; and Gentian Zyberi, Professor of International Law and Human Rights at the University of Oslo and Head of Department at the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights.
