International law is failing us. What now? Rethinking Humanitarianism

When countries can commit genocide or invade neighbours with few repercussions, it's clear that international norms and laws are not working. On the podcast, three legal experts discuss the problems and some steps forward, from decentralised ways of enforcing criminal law, to including non-state actors, to erasing the legal loopholes used to justify violence. Guests: Neve Gordon, professor of international law and human rights at Queen Mary University of London and a fellow of the British Academy of Social Sciences. He has written extensively about the Israeli–Palestinian conflict, the bombing of healthcare facilities, and coined the term "medical lawfare." Oona Hathaway, professor of international law at Yale Law School who has been a member of the Advisory Committee on International Law for the legal adviser at the US Department of State since 2005 and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations since 2011. She is working on a book titled "War Unbound: Gaza, Ukraine, and the Breakdown of International Law". Michael Addo, law professor at the University of Notre Dame and lawyer with expertise in international human rights law and international business policy. The UN Human Rights Council appointed him in 2011 to join its Working Group on Business and Human Rights, which he currently chairs. Got a question or feedback? Email podcast@thenewhumanitarian.org or post on social media using the hashtag .

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International law is failing us. What now? Rethinking Humanitarianism is an episode from The New Humanitarian by The New Humanitarian.

This episode is 01:01:29 long.

This episode was published on Dec 11, 2025.

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