Crisis in Multilateral Cooperation to Prevent Conflict: The postwar international order is at a critical inflection point regarding multilateral cooperation to prevent violent conflict. Globally, the number of conflicts is higher than at any time since the end of the Second World War, and violence and mass atrocities against civilians have surpassed record levels.
A Return to the Use of Force: Three of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council are actively undermining the prohibition on the use of force, resulting in a deadlocked UN system that can no longer manage conflicts effectively.
Loss of Confidence in Commitment to IHL: Western governments’ failure to take meaningful action to prevent genocide in Gaza and Sudan has severely eroded confidence in their commitment to IHL.
Collapse of the Postwar Norms of Peace: A broad consensus has emerged among global experts, UN agencies, major aid organizations and academics that norms prohibiting the use of force and the targeting of civilians are collapsing.
Crisis of Mediation Legitimacy: Without a shared belief that powerful states will uphold international law and adhere to established norms, mediators lose the standards and mechanisms through which peace can be negotiated, and the prospect for the peaceful settlement of disputes declines significantly.