International Law in Retreat? Symptoms & Consequences of Great Power Rivalry

The Foreign Policy Forum: Regional Powers in Global Politics accompanies South Africa's membership in the UN Security Council during 2019-2020. It consists of a series of six roundtables each dedicated to a particular theme. The overarching topic is the role of regional powers in global affairs which is characterised by a return of great power politics and erosion of multilateralism. Each roundtable consists of a select group of local and international experts. The Foreign Policy Forum is sponsored by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation (KAS).

This first roundtable is discussing the ‘demise’ of international law and multilateralism. Questions the roundtable will be addressing are: to which extent is there a qualitative/quantitative decline of international law and if there is how is Africa affected by it? Are we returning to a Hobbesian state of world affairs in which authority and not wisdom makes law and finally what role are regional powers playing are they guardians of multilateralism or become followers of great power?

Programme:

Opening:

Henning Suhr (KAS-South Africa)

Prof Malte Brosig (Wits, IR Dep.)

Roundtable participants:

Dr Martin Schaefer, Ambassador of Germany

Amb Lallie, DIRCO

Prof Dire Tladi, (University of Pretoria, Law School)

Prof Ntombizozuko Dyani-Mhango (Wits Law School)

Natalie Zahringer (Wits IR Dep.)

Ottilia Maunganidze (Institute for Security Studies, Pretoria)

Moderators:

Dr Mopeli Moshoeshoe & Prof Malte Brosig (Wits IR Dep.)

Closing words:

Dr Mopeli Moshoeshoe

Reception