On 13 November 2025, Professor Oona A. Hathaway, Gerard C. and Bernice Latrobe Smith Professor of International Law at Yale Law School and currently Fellow at the American Academy in Berlin, gave a Nuremberg Academy Talk titled “War Unbound”. The core question addressed was why so many civilians are suffering and dying from war, how international humanitarian law has been unravelling and what can be done going forward. International humanitarian law, also known as the law of armed conflict, is supposed to spare civilians from the worst calamities of conflict. The aim of this body of law has always been clear: Civilians not involved in the fighting deserve to be protected from harm and to enjoy unimpeded access to humanitarian aid. In many contemporary conflicts, including the Israel-Hamas war, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the civil war in Sudan, the law has failed. The growing number of wars within states and between states and non-state actors marks a new era in warfare that has pushed the law to the breaking point. In recent years, tens of thousands of civilians have been the victims of violence in war, leaving many observers wondering if the law makes any difference at all.
In her talk, Professor Oona A. Hathaway examined these developments and considered what, if anything, can be done to restore some measure of protection to civilians in times of war. In a lively discussion following the talk, the focus was inter alia on global efforts to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law rules, the central role of states and the current policy and recent activities of the United States.
The Nuremberg Academy Talks are convened and chaired by Dr Viviane Dittrich, Deputy Director of the Academy. (vd)
