Daniela Castiblanco Diaz and Sujatha Selvakumar

The international law weekend is an annual event hosted by the
American branch of the international law association attracting
audiences from around the world and a mix of practitioners,
academics, U.N. Diplomats, business leaders and federal
government officials, and NGO leaders. This year it was held by
the New York City Bar Association and Fordham Law School.

This year’s International Law Weekend captured a well-known paradox in international law — that progress often happens because of crises, not in spite of them. Each generation inherits not only the rules crafted in response to the last upheaval but also the responsibility to adapt them for the next.

The conference embraced this challenge, exploring a range of topics from the international order and artificial intelligence in international law to the state of the global trading system and how today’s wars shape the legal order of tomorrow. Each panel examined the ensuing impacts on humanity, nations, and businesses.

All sessions reflected a deep awareness of the changing global order. As the United States has withdrawn from several U.N. bodies and drastically cut funding while the Security Council faces deepening paralysis, the U.N. appears to be faltering in addressing current conflicts in Syria, Ukraine, and Gaza. Yet the conference tackled these challenges head-on, recognizing the U.N.’s outsized role in upholding the rule of law, maintaining peace, and fostering international cooperation.

Sujatha Selvakumar and Daniela Castiblanco, two SAIS international students with Singaporean and Colombian backgrounds, attended panels closely aligned with their regional and academic interests.

A standout experience for Castiblanco was attending a U.N. roundtable that featured global diplomats, including Mexico’s ambassador, Pablo Adrián. He discussed compliance issues surrounding the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the International Court of Justice (ICJ), particularly the “Avena case.” Fifty-one Mexican nationals convicted of murder in the United States were sentenced to death without access to legal consular assistance from Mexico. Adrián emphasized the Security Council’s lack of response and the United States’ failure to comply with the ICJ ruling that found the U.S. in violation of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (Article 36). The ICJ ordered the U.S. to review the cases under those criteria and ensure access to consular support in future proceedings.

Adrián argued that the problem lies not in how international institutions are built, but in how states selectively adhere to them. Countries, he said, often act out of convenience—choosing priorities based on timing, politics, or participants—rather than upholding international rulings consistently. His remarks underscored the importance of integrity, respect for international law, and commitment to the U.N. Charter’s values.

For Selvakumar, a personal highlight was hearing from retired International Criminal Court Judge Sir Howard Morrison, who served at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia beginning in 2009. Drawing on his experience, he spoke about the horrific loss of life caused by mass atrocities and delivered a clear message: the rule of law is nonnegotiable if future generations are to live in peace. He was especially candid in calling out what limits the effectiveness of international law, such as the veto power within the U.N. Security Council.

Edited by: Krithiga Narayanan

Note: Student Membership to American Society of International Law (ASIL) is free for all SAIS students. If you have
any questions, you can reach out to the International Law Society at SAIS.