[CRASH-CONFERENCE] Why defend multilateralism? - Monique Chemillier-Gendreau

On Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, we had the pleasure of welcoming Monique Chemillier-Gendreau, Professor Emerita of Public Law and Political Science, for a conference devoted to multilateralism in the current geopolitical context. This event was prepared and presented by Rony Brauman. By endorsing the ‘Board of Peace’ on November 17th through the Resolution 2803, the United Nations Security Council entered into direct conflict with another UN body, the International Court of Justice, and the principles it strongly reiterated in its Opinion of July 19th, 2024. Furthermore, ignoring the various resolutions it had previously voted on, the Security Council trampled on international law by siding with the United States, which makes no secret of its ambition to compete with and subjugate the UN. The days when the UN offered a multilateral façade are over. Humanitarian workers are well placed to know that behind the scenes, the picture was not so rosy. Multilateralism as a façade did little to conceal the reality of the Security Council as a directorate of the powerful, and the results of the many deployments of so-called peacekeeping forces were very meagre. The fact remains that the threat to UN agencies posed by budget cuts is already causing significant damage. The UNHCR, WHO and WFP fulfil essential roles that no one else can take over, while the International Criminal Court is the target of unprecedented attacks. Should we therefore see this erosion of multilateralism as the beneficial unveiling of a logic of domination that had previously been disguised, with the corollary of the disappearance of vital assistance? Do the wars in the DRC, Sudan and Palestine, and violent oppressive regimes, mark the failure of international law? In short, beyond its humanitarian agencies, is the UN nothing more than fiction, reassuring for some, hypocritical for others? We discussed these issues with Monique Chemillier-Gendreau, professor emeritus of public law and political science at Paris Cité University, specialist in international law, and practitioner in international courts. She is the author of, among other publications, Rendre impossible un État palestinien. L’objectif d’Israël depuis sa création (Textuel, 2025); Pour un Conseil mondial de la résistance (Textuel, 2020); Régression de la démocratie et déchaînement de la violence (Textuel, 2019); and De la guerre à la communauté universelle. Entre droit et politique (Fayard, 2013). Content: 00:00 Introduction 05:31 A weak international law that does not fulfil the characteristics of an effective law 16:41 The contradictions and structural weaknesses of international law 22:49 The reasons for the failure of the peacekeeping mechanism 43:50 The weak enforcement of international law and the lack of universality of its norms 01:00:06 The structural limits of international justice 01:05:28 Conclusion and some outlooks for the future 01:12:57 Question 1: How can an occupying force claim self-defence, as is the case of Israel in Gaza? 01:15:08 Question 2: How can the United States avoid the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice, given they were condemned in the 1985 Nicaragua case? 01:17:31 Question 3: Which actors, other than states, should make up the UN Parliament to ensure its efficiency? 01:22:11 Question 4: How do you perceive the “Responsibility to Protect” which was created in the United Nations Summit in 2005? 01:24:01 Question 5 and 6: Can NGOs mobilise public opinion and influence state decisions? How can legal professionals and law experts contribute to developing new forms of international solidarity? 01:35:10 Question 7: Is it still pertinent to advocate for the enforcement of international humanitarian law, given that humanitarian access depends primarily on the interests of the parties involved? 01:38:26 Question 8: Can the “one country, one vote” principle in the General Assembly leave small states vulnerable to external influences and pressures? 01:41:09 Question 9: Is there a risk that some European countries will continue to withdraw from international law in anticipation of a possible conflict in Europe? 01:43:44 Question 10: In an increasingly hostile climate to fundamental rights, should NGOs adopt a more explicitly political stance (without being partisan), in order to address these threats? 01:50:37 Question 11: Can we have rights without the means to enforce them? 👉 Subscribe to our channel: @lafondationmsf4534 👉 Link to our website: https://msf-crash.org/fr 📢Follow the Crash on social media: Facebook :   / msf.crash   LinkedIn :   / published   Instagram :   / msf_crash   WhatsApp : https://www.whatsapp.com/channel/0029... BlueSky : https://bsky.app/profile/msf-crash.bs... Copyright: Maëlle Lefeuvre/Crash MSF MSF