On February 14, the international conference titled “Rethinking International Law: Knowledge, Action, Reflection” took place in Yerevan. It was organized in cooperation with the “Armenian International Law Association,” the “International and Comparative Law Center,” and the “Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights.”
The conference brought together leading experts in the field of international law from Armenia and abroad, representing reputable universities, research centers, and international organizations, as well as Armenia’s leading academic and human rights institutions.
The conference was attended and moderated by Igor Mirzakhanyan, co-founder of the “Armenian International Law Association,” Siranush Sahakyan, director of the “International and Comparative Law Center” and director of the Armenian office of the “Armenian Legal Center for Justice and Human Rights,” Anna Melikyan, expert of the NGO “Protection of Rights Without Borders,” and others.
The conference commenced with a panel discussion titled “International Courts and Beyond: Various Pathways of International Law Enforcement.” During the thematic panel discussions held throughout the day, attention was also given to the impact of climate change on the transformation of the international legal system, issues of responsibility and justice following forced displacement and other mass atrocities. The discussions also focused on traditional as well as contemporary approaches to teaching and interpreting international law.
Speakers at the conference included doctors, professors, students, and other representatives from the University of Lodz, Cleveland State University, Tilburg University, Columbia University (New York), the American University of Armenia, the University of Basel, the Institute for Research of Crimes Against Humanity and International Law, Panthéon-Assas University Paris II, the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, the “Women’s Fund Armenia,” Yerevan State University, and the University of Edinburgh.
During the conference, particular attention was paid to such branches of international law as international human rights law, international humanitarian law, and international criminal law. In this context, the event served as an important platform for professional dialogue, exchange of experience, and the development of new ideas aimed at advancing international law, particularly in conditions of regional and global uncertainty.
The aim of the conference was to rethink the role and significance of international law in the context of global challenges by combining theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and a critical approach.
