Is International Law Still Relevant? | Mona Ali Khalil

In this episode of Frontlines & Backrooms, we speak with Mona Ali Khalil, a veteran public international lawyer and former Senior Legal Officer at the United Nations, about the growing crisis facing the international legal order.

At a moment when conflicts in Gaza, Iran, Ukraine, and elsewhere are testing the limits of the UN system, the central question becomes unavoidable: is international law still relevant — or is it simply ignored by the powers that shape the world?

Drawing on her experience as a former Senior Legal Officer at the United Nations, where she worked on issues ranging from peacekeeping and sanctions to counter-terrorism and WMD disarmament, Khalil offers a rare insider perspective on how international law actually functions when confronted with political power.

The conversation explores whether international law is failing, whether the UN Security Council still matters, and why smaller states may ultimately become the strongest defenders of the international legal system.

From debates about the UN’s reform to questions surrounding the ICC, the “Board of Peace,” and the risk of regional escalation in the Middle East, this discussion examines the structural tensions between law, power, and global order.

00:00 Support Frontlines & Backrooms / Subscribe
00:23 Introduction
02:25 Is international law being ignored — or was it never designed for this moment?
06:19 Could war with Iran escalate from a regional to a global war?
09:12 The UN Security Council: still relevant, but failing its mission
13:57 Reforming the UN — why the Charter itself may not need to change
19:00 The “Board of Peace”: UN initiative vs Davos initiative
23:19 From panic to action — what the debate around the Board of Peace reveals
27:53 Tony Blair and the controversy around the Board of Peace - As a war criminal, Tony Blair is the last person to sit ed of Peace.
32:53 Historical moments when major powers broke international law
38:25 Israel, Iran, Hezbollah and the argument about regional proxies
43:36 “Original sins” — the historical roots of today’s conflicts
50:30 Why smaller states are the strongest defenders of international law
52:46 The ICC: not a lion, but the conscience of the international system
56:26 Venezuela, Iran, and Gaza — different crises, same legal challenge
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