The Middle East is witnessing rapid shifts in power balances and alliance structures that will have tangible effects on the future of the regional order. The war on Gaza served as a testing ground for these transformations, both during the war and in the arrangements that followed. It exposed the limitations of the Arab role, which failed over two years to halt the genocide or mitigate its consequences, focusing primarily on mediation efforts led by Qatar and Egypt. Iran, meanwhile, engaged in the conflict at varying levels and sustained strategic damage that requires time to repair. Turkey, by contrast, accumulated greater power and influence, emerging as a pivotal regional actor intersecting with most regional and international agendas.

The emergence of a multipolar global order is no longer a purely theoretical proposition; evidence of this transformation is abundant across the global economy, military balances, technology, and regional and international alliances. While the war on Gaza, which has continued for over two years with obvious US and Western support, appeared to reaffirm the dominance of a unipolar system, it simultaneously revealed fractures within the Western bloc itself. On multiple occasions, the United States found itself internationally isolated at the UN Security Council, the General Assembly, and international justice institutions. Meanwhile, the influence of rising powers in the Global South, such as China, continues to grow on various levels, while regional and transcontinental groupings like the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and BRICS play increasingly advanced political and economic roles.

This session discusses the challenges facing the rule of law and accountability before international courts as two fundamental pillars for achieving justice, sustainable peace, and the protection of civilians from serious violations of international humanitarian law, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression. The session is grounded in the foundational references of the Charter of the United Nations and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which affirm that the protection of human rights and dignity can only be realised under the rule of law.

The session examines the legal and political obstacles that hinder the enforcement of international justice, as well as the risks of politicising human rights and the application of double standards in a world moving toward multipolarity. It also addresses the extent to which international courts and judicial mechanisms are able to withstand weak political will and disregard for the rules of international law, particularly in the Palestinian context. The discussion explores ways to activate mechanisms of international criminal law, including the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and the principle of universal jurisdiction. The session seeks to assess the role of cases before the International Court of Justice and international investigations in establishing legal precedents that strengthen the protection of civilians and reaffirm the principle of non-impunity.

This session explores how influencers have become central actors in “narrative wars”, and how instant, visual content has broken the monopoly over traditional narratives on Palestine. It also examines mechanisms for building trust and credibility, the impact of transnational networks, the limits of collaboration between professional media and content creators, and challenges related to censorship and platform algorithms.

This session analyses the components of effective influence: the creator’s identity, expertise and networks; the nature of the message (personal narrative, documentation, analysis or data); platform characteristics and algorithms; and funding and sustainability models. It also examines measurement tools (reach, engagement, and the conversion of opinion into action) and legal and digital risk management.

This session presents practical roadmaps for leveraging influence to achieve tangible change across issues intersecting with Palestine: climate justice, boycotts and supply chains, arms trade transparency, poverty and humanitarian relief. It focuses on evidence-based campaign design, alliances with specialised organisations, avoiding “performative activism”, and establishing standards for measuring impact and policy outcomes.

This session presents practical roadmaps for leveraging influence to achieve tangible change across issues intersecting with Palestine: climate justice, boycotts and supply chains, arms trade transparency, poverty and humanitarian relief. It focuses on evidence-based campaign design, alliances with specialised organisations, avoiding “performative activism”, and establishing standards for measuring impact and policy outcomes.