8 June, 2026
At the latest edition of Community Drinks organised by The Hague Humanity Hub, practitioners, advocates, and organisations working across the international justice ecosystem came together for an open and timely conversation on the state of international law and the role of community in shaping its future.
Representatives from the organisations DAHRD, HiiL, IDLO, the ICJ, and UpRights shared perspectives from their work on human rights advocacy, people-centred justice, accountability, and rule of law initiatives across different contexts – from Ukraine to Palestine, India, and beyond.
It was emphasised that international law does not exist in isolation. Trust, coordination, and long-term collaboration are essential to making justice meaningful and accessible for people affected by conflict, inequality, and repression. Speakers reflected on the importance of strengthening national justice systems, centering victims and lived experiences in legal processes, and the need for stronger connections between institutions, civil society, and communities.
The discussion also explored some of the key challenges facing the sector today, including shrinking civic spaces, donor competition, funding uncertainty, and the growing tension between security-focused agendas and human rights priorities. At the same time, participants highlighted the importance of solidarity, strategic cooperation, and creating space for diverse voices – particularly from the Global South – in shaping international justice efforts.
Community Drinks once again demonstrated the value of informal spaces where people across sectors can connect, exchange ideas, and collectively reflect on the future of peace, justice, and the rule of law.
These conversations are essential to strengthening the ecosystems and relationships that support more just, peaceful, and resilient societies.
At the inaugural panel of the Justice Matters Conference 2026, hosted by The Hague Humanity Hub and Hague Institute for Innovation of Law (Hiil), speakers explored what it means to build justice systems that respond to women’s lived realities and integrate their voices from the margins of society to the center of decision-making.
Jule is a young climate lawyer and the co-founder of World’s Youth for Climate Justice (WYCJ), a grassroots organisation working to transform international law into a tool for climate justice, which played a key role in pushing for the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Member States’ Obligations in respect of Climate Change.
The collapse of the concrete canopy of Novi Sad’s main railway station in Serbia became the focus of a recent #DemocracyDrinks discussion in The Hague. Not only did the tragedy raise deeper concerns around corruption and accountability, but most importantly it also sparked a deep sense of resistance and collective desire to be heard and cared for.
