2021 Grotius Lecture: Never let a good crisis go to waste! Can international law seize the advantage?

It is well known that international law is currently undergoing transformations and challenges in many respects, regarding sources, subjects, ends and main principles in an international society that bears little resemblance to what it was in the aftermath of the Second World War. As international law is intended to be the glue that holds together a diverse international society, it is naturally at the heart of the crises affecting that society, as we are currently experiencing with the health crisis. Facing a crisis, one can be passive and hope for its end. Conversely, one can opt for a positive vision and try to find a dynamic of progress highlighted by the content of the crisis itself. In this perspective, it is necessary to check whether lessons can be learned, or even benefits achieved, as the crisis raises questions about the relevance or the need to reassess and transform major pillars of international law, such as the principle of sovereignty or that of multilateralism. Emergence of common interest or a principle of solidarity also needs to be addressed as they can provide legal means for responding to and preventing new crises. In this respect, this progress must be welcomed as an undeniable advance. Progress on other fronts, less comprehensive, should be seen as a step forward and a source of hope.

FEATURING
Grotius Lecturer: Yves Daudet, University Paris I Panthéon-Sorbonne
Distinguished Discussant: Hannah Buxbaum, Indiana University

(Speaker organizations are shown as of March 2021)

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