This volume contains the proceedings of the international conference “From Unravelling Commitments to Reinforcing Universality: Reaffirming International Human Rights Law amid Withdrawal and Backsliding”, organised by the Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights in Athens on 26 May 2026.

The contributions are organised into three thematic panels. The first examines state withdrawal and disengagement from international human rights systems, as well as prospects for renewed engagement. The second focuses on the internal pressures facing international human rights courts and treaty bodies, including challenges to their authority, independence and legitimacy. The third adopts a forward-looking perspective, exploring avenues for reinforcing the universality of human rights through public interest litigation, advisory opinions, international cooperation, stronger institutional coordination and effective domestic implementation.

The volume also features the keynote address by ECtHR Vice-President Judge Ivana Jelić which examines contemporary challenges to the Convention system, particularly in the interpretation and implementation of states’ obligations in the fields of migration and asylum.

Together, the contributions consider how international human rights law and its institutions can maintain their credibility and effectiveness amid growing political and institutional pressures.