MSC 2026 Side Event Conversation on Security and Accountability in a Disintegrating Legal Order
The International Nuremberg Principles Academy, together with the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, hosted a side event during the Munich Security Conference 2026 featuring Judge Silvia Fernández de Gurmendi, Professor Janina Dill, and Ambassador Christian Wenaweser, moderated by Professor Christoph Safferling.
The panelists agreed that the international legal order is not collapsing, but is undergoing a period of significant stress that will determine its future strength. Ambassador Wenaweser emphasized that multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, remain indispensable, but their effectiveness depends on stronger engagement and collective action, particularly by small and medium-sized states whose security relies on a functioning rules-based system.
Judge Fernández de Gurmendi highlighted that the International Criminal Court, despite political pressure and targeted measures against its officials, continues to operate and demonstrates institutional resilience. Ongoing proceedings and increased political and financial support from states confirm the Court’s continuing relevance as a core element of the international accountability framework.
Professor Dill stressed that the deeper risk lies in the erosion of international law as a binding constraint. Selective application, the silence of states in the face of violations, and declining commitment by major powers weaken the normative foundation of the system.
Together, the discussion underscored a central conclusion: the future of the rules-based order depends less on institutional design than on political will. International law will remain effective only if states defend it consistently, publicly, and collectively. (gp)
Watch the panel discussionhere.
