On 2 September 2026, the Rio School on Global Governance, Democracy and Human Rights was honored to welcome Prof. Conor Foley, a Professor at PUC-Rio, where he teaches on conflict and international law. The course is held by the FGV Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ programme and directed by Prof. Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida.

In his lecture, moderated by Prof. Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida, Prof. Foley discussed humanitarian protection and international law. He began by sharing insights from his extensive personal experience, as he has worked on issues relating to the rule of law, protection, combating torture, penal legislation, land rights and judicial reform for a variety of UN and NGO agencies in over 30 conflict and post-conflict zones. Among his most recent projects, he re-interviewed Yazidi survivors of genocide and documented violations in order to build case files against ISIS perpetrators and support their prosecution under universal jurisdiction. Prof. Foley then contextualized the current situation of the humanitarian field, which he described as more fragile than ever today. He argued that allegations from the US and Israel that UNRWA had compromised its neutrality contributed to the crisis the humanitarian community finds itself in, even though the claims were never proved.

The lecture then turned to the right to humanitarian assistance. The traditional conception, based on international humanitarian law, requires neutrality, independence, and impartiality. This differs from the international human rights law approach, which holds that organizations and governments that can protect human rights should do so. Prof. Foley noted that the purported neutrality of humanitarian assistance often comes into conflict with other concerns. For instance, in the Sri Lanka conflict in 2009, the UN provided aid but failed to denounce the massacre of civilians. Nevertheless, the professor argued that the response of the UN and UN relief agencies to the situation in Gaza has been exemplary. By continuing to document violations and speaking out, these organizations have demonstrated that lessons have been learned from previous crises.

We warmly thank Prof. Foley for this enriching and thought-provoking class. We look forward to further collaboration.