Join us for a discussion on fostering a more constructive debate around state adherence to international rules and principles with Sophie Eisentraut (Munich Security Conference), Shubha Prasad (Hertie School), and Kwasi Prempeh (CDD-Ghana). Chaired by Tobias Bunde (Hertie School), this event forms part of our Challenges in International Security event series and is hosted jointly by the Centre for International Security and the Munich Security Conference.
Accusations from governments in the Global South about Western states being guilty of double standards are increasingly widespread. Many of these governments view the contrasting responses to the Ukraine and Gaza conflicts as a clear example of such double standards. Criticism of an inconsistent application of international principles is also often linked to questioning the rules themselves, leading to cynicism about universally applicable rules. This event aims to discuss the current state of rule adherence, how to achieve greater consistency in applying international principles, and how to foster a more constructive debate about double standards.
The event will start with Sophie Eisentraut (Munich Security Conference) presenting findings from a new Munich Security Conference publication on double standards, based on an exclusive survey of perceptions and views on international rules in nine populous Global South countries.
The presentation will be followed by a panel discussion with Sophie Eisentraut (Munich Security Conference), Shubha Prasad (Hertie School), and Kwasi Prempeh (CDD-Ghana), chaired by Tobias Bunde (Hertie School), exploring how to foster a more productive debate about double standards.
Speakers
Dr. Sophie Eisentraut is Head of Research and Publications at the Munich Security Conference. Previously, she was a transatlantic post-doctoral fellow at the German Marshall Fund in Washington, DC, the Finnish Institute of International Affairs in Helsinki, and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs in Berlin.
Prof. Shubha Kamala Prasad, PhD is an Assistant Professor of International Relations at the Hertie School. Her research examines domestic sources of foreign policy, spanning substate conflict to diaspora mobilization. She was a Max Weber Postdoctoral Fellow at the European University Institute (2020-22), Fiesole, Italy. Shubha was awarded her PhD in Political Science in 2020 from the Department of Government, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA. She completed her MPhil and MA in International Politics at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. Her prior work experience also includes organizing Track II Dialogues between India and Pakistan.
Kwasi Prempeh is a Ghanaian legal scholar and executive director of the Ghana Center for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana). He founded the West Africa Democracy Solidarity Network (WADEMOS), a coalition of pro-democracy groups in West Africa. Kwasi holds a J.D. from Yale Law School and has served as an adviser to the UN in Yemen and the Attorney General of Ghana. He has taught constitutional law and comparative constitutional design at Seton Hall University and Central European University and was awarded the Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellowship in 2011. Kwasi serves on various boards, including Afrobarometer and GIGA.
Chair
Tobias Bunde is Professor of International Security at the Hertie School. He is also Director of Research and Policy at the Munich Security Conference and a member of the Executive Board of the Munich Security Conference Foundation. Tobias studied international relations at various institutions in Germany, France, and the United States and received his PhD in Political Science from Freie Universität Berlin.
