Patryk I. Labuda

Patryk I. Labuda is an active Assistant Professor in the Department of International Relations at Central European University (CEU), with prior appointments at the University of Amsterdam, Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, New York University School of Law, Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, University of Zurich, Polish Academy of Sciences, and Free University of Berlin. Elected to the European Society of International Law Board in 2024, he operates at the intersection of international law, peace/security studies, and global history, emphasizing practical engagement through rule-of-law initiatives and Global South-Eastern European academic exchanges.

His educational background includes a PhD in International Law from the Geneva Graduate Institute, an LL.M. from Columbia Law School, a Magister in Law from Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, and a BA in History from the same institution. Labuda’s research centers on two interconnected pillars: the impact of international criminal tribunals and UN peace operations on domestic law/politics in central Africa (specifically DR Congo, CAR, and the Sudans), and the analysis of double standards in international law through Second World Approaches, challenging Eurocentric narratives while highlighting Ukraine’s historical experiences of foreign domination as a lens for decolonizing legal frameworks.

Recent publications reveal a sharp focus on accountability for Russian aggression against Ukraine, hybrid tribunals in Africa, and epistemic justice—bridging doctrinal legal debates (e.g., UN Security Council powers, ICC complementarity) with post-colonial and historical analysis. His work consistently interrogates power imbalances in enforcement, particularly how small states leverage international law for emancipation.

Scientific awards include:

• 2025 International Criminal Law Scholarship Prize from the American Society of International Law (ASIL) for his Yale Journal article on Ukraine’s special tribunal
• 2024 ABILA Best Book Award for International Criminal Tribunals & Domestic Accountability. In the Court’s Shadow (Oxford University Press)

As a former rule-of-law practitioner with over a decade in Africa, Labuda actively promotes Global South-Eastern European scholarly dialogues. He leads the Second World Approaches to International Law (SWAIL) project—recovering Eastern Europe’s invisible role in international law—and co-organizes the Double Standards project examining inconsistencies in human rights, trade, and armed conflict enforcement. Recent workshops in Geneva and Vienna involved high-level diplomatic forums and collaborations with Harvard Law School, Osgoode Hall, and Swiss National Science Foundation.

Labuda directs the SWAIL project through CEU, which addresses Eastern Europe’s 'dual exclusion' from mainstream Western and non-Western legal discourse. His current initiatives explicitly aim to unsettle hegemonic narratives, foster cross-regional scholarship, and develop anti-imperial legal strategies, with fieldwork extending to Libya, Tunisia, and Senegal.