A conference titled “Failures and Future of International Law: Perspectives on Gaza, Ukraine and the Balkans” was held in Skopje, the capital of North Macedonia, on the occasion of December 10, World Human Rights Day.
Researchers in the field of international law from North Macedonia, Turkey, England, Italy, Spain and Slovenia attended the conference, which was organized in cooperation with the North Macedonia-based Balkan Studies Foundation (BSF), the Earth Lawyers Association (WOLAS) and the Presidency for Turks Abroad and Related Communities (YTB).
BSF President Sevba Abdula, in her statement to the AA correspondent, said that on this important day, they have recently organized a one-day, four-session conference in the world where they focused on international law with examples from Ukraine and the Balkans, especially Gaza.
Thanking WOLAS and YTB for their presence at the conference and their support, Abdula said, “International law is one of the structures that has created controversy in recent times, both with its failures and because it is an important institution for the future. Frankly, it is an extremely important institution and phenomenon for our Balkan geography. .” he said.
Boğaziçi University Faculty of Law Lecturer Hasan Basri Bülbül, who works in the fields of international law, human rights law, migration and refugee law, noted that international law has been frequently on the agenda in recent years.
Emphasizing that the increasing violence in the world and the inadequacy of international law at this point are especially on the agenda and have been subject to criticism, Bülbül stated that international law is a very important value that needs to be protected in the face of these conflicts, but they also see that it is frequently violated.
Expressing that they hope that the conference will make a significant contribution to the resolution of the tensions in Gaza, Ukraine and the Balkans, Bülbül said:
“What happened in Gaza, Palestine, and what happened in Ukraine in recent years reveals how serious the problems are. The different approaches to these issues and the ambivalent attitude of the Western world towards both issues are quite disturbing. We, as international lawyers, also “As we question these, we question the nature and potential of international law in this context. Our aim is to contribute to the emergence of a more just international law.”
WOLAS General Coordinator Ömer Doğubey Aslan noted that the aim of today’s conference is to determine the problems as well as to review the role of international law.
Underlining that the world is currently facing deep challenges, from the genocide in Gaza to the ongoing war in Ukraine, Aslan said, “We daily experience the limitations and failures of the international legal system to prevent and adequately address this crisis. However, this conference is only about diagnosing the problems.” “It is also about envisioning solutions and rethinking the role of international law.” he said.
