Dr Danae Azaria has led and participated in an exchange of views with an expert on the legal significance of State Silence in the field of international law at the 70th Meeting of the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI), held at the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, 19–20 March 2026). The exchange demonstrates how Dr Azaria’s research informs high-level intergovernmental deliberations and contributes directly to the understanding and development of international law in practice.
Dr Azaria’s presentation, at the invitation of CAHDI, explained how the silence of States can carry legal meaning and significance in the evolution and interpretation of international law, particularly in the field of the prohibition of use of force under customary international law and under the United Nations Charter. Her contribution relied on and drew from her several publications in relation to State silence in international law – including her latest book, State Silence Across International Law: Meaning, Context and Developments, which addresses the role of State silence in the evolution of international law and security. The presentation prompted a wide-ranging and lively exchange with CAHDI members, during which questions of contemporaneous significance were debated.
CAHDI brings together the director legal advisers from the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of all Member States of the Council of Europe, alongside director legal advisors from observer States and international organisations, to exchange views on pressing matters of public international law. CAHDI serves as the key intergovernmental forum for coordinating the activities of Council of Europe Member States in the field of public international law. Through CAHDI’s work, the Council of Europe aims to support coherence and collaboration in addressing contemporary legal challenges at the international level.
Dr Azaria’s invitation to contribute as an expert, and the exchange of views between government legal advisors on the topic of State Silence in international law underlines the real-world impact of the research published under the grant on ‘State Silence’ (funded by the European Research Council [ERC]), of which Dr Azaria is the Director.
Find out more
- ‘State Silence’ project and publications
- State Silence Across International Law: Meaning, Context and Developments
- Dr Danae Azaria
- CAHDI’s 70th Meeting
Images: Dr Azaria (right) with Ms Kerli Veski, Chair of CAHDI, Undersecretary for Legal and Consular Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.