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As crises intensify and geopolitical divisions grow, College of Law gathering assessed the standing of international law and what it means for justice and accountability
Hamad Bin Khalifa University’s (HBKU) College of Law hosted a symposium, ‘Rethinking International Law: Reconsidering Old Orientations, Proposing New Trajectories,’ examining the state of the international legal system at a time of persistent conflicts and deep geopolitical divisions, testing its credibility, relevance, and capacity to respond.
Drawing on recent developments in Venezuela, Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine, as well as other challenges to international law, scholars and practitioners explored the system’s conceptual foundations, colonial foundations and double standards, raising key questions about whether current failures reflect a breakdown of international law or deeper exposure of its structural limitations.
Hosting the symposium underscores HBKU’s strategic position at a global crossroads of culture, business, and geopolitics, as well as its role as a regional hub for critical legal scholarship and policy-relevant debate. Additionally, it sheds light on key challenges facing the Middle East, where ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises contest the interpretation and application of international law. By aligning these scenarios within a global context, the symposium underlines the importance of addressing regional experiences not as separate events, but as vital case studies that shape and strengthen international practices.
“Amid increasing scrutiny of the effectiveness of the international legal system, there is an urgent need to re-examine the foundations of international law, including how it is interpreted and implemented,” remarked Dr. Fatima Ahdash, Assistant Professor at HBKU’s College of Law. “This symposium offered a critical lens on these challenges, bringing together legal, historical, and policy perspectives to help shape contemporary debates and frameworks of direct relevance to Qatar, the region, and the wider international community.”
By fostering in-depth, cross-regional dialogue, the event contributed to rethinking the future of international law to integrate lived realities and respond to both regional and global challenges.
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