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University of Graz Faculty of Law Department of International Law and International Relations News GILDS Lecture: The impact of authoritarian states on international law
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Wednesday, 16 April 2025

GILDS Lecture: The impact of authoritarian states on international law

Polzin Gilds

On 9 April, Prof. Monika Polzin gave a talk within the GILDS Discussion Series on the topic “The Global Illiberal Dawn: Will International Law Become Authoritarian?” The lecture highlighted how authoritarian states strategically reinterpret and influence international law to their own advantage.

The focus of the presentation was on so-called "authoritarian international law". The term refers to the attempt by authoritarian states to create new norms of international law or to interpret existing ones in a way that strengthens their power structures while restricting individual freedom.

A key example is China's understanding of the right to development. For China, this is a "supreme human right", which – according to Prof. Polzin – places economic progress and collective well-being above individual freedom, thereby effectively replacing the principle of universal human rights.

Finally, it was emphasized that democratic states must actively counter authoritarian developments in order to preserve a liberal vision of international law. The latter is clearly in danger when human rights are reinterpreted or manipulated to serve authoritarian ends.

The Department for International Law and International Relations of the University of Graz is grateful to Prof. Polzin and is looking forward to further exciting discussions. We would also like to thank all participants for the lively debate.

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