Description
Observers warn of a destabilizing erosion in respect for international law and growing concerns on the effectiveness and credibility of international organizations to solve real-world problems. On his first day in office in 2025, President Trump withdrew the US from the World Health Organization spurring a crisis of financing and governance; however, four months later, the remaining Member States adopted the historic Pandemic Agreement showing the vitality of international law and the relevance of international organizations. At this critical juncture, we celebrate Professor Gian Luca Burci's retirement from the Geneva Graduate Institute, by examining what recent developments in global health portend for the rule of law and global governance.
Over the course of his career, Professor Burci has been a central figure at this intersection. As Legal Counsel of the World Health Organization, he played a key role in some of the most consequential legal and institutional developments in global health, including the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, the International Health Regulations, and WHO responses to major public health emergencies. As a scholar and educator, he has built the intellectual foundations of global health law, while mentoring generations of students and practitioners.
The event brings together scholars and practitioners to reflect on the health of international law and organizations to address the profound overlapping crises facing societies today.
SPEAKERS
- Gian Luca Burci, Senior Visiting Professor, International Law, Academic Advisor, Global Health Centre, Director, Joint Geneva Graduate Institute/Georgetown LLM in Global Health Law and Governance
- Suerie Moon, Co-Director, Global Health Centre and Professor of Practice, International Relations, Geneva Graduate Institute
- Nico Krisch, Professor of International Law & Head of the Department of International Law, Geneva Graduate Institute
- Johannes Klabbers, Whewell Professor of International Law, University of Cambridge
- Andrew Clapham, Professor of International Law at the Geneva Graduate Institute
Additional speakers will be announced soon.
CO-HOSTED by
The Geneva Graduate Institute's Global Health Centre and the International Law Department.
