HUMAN RIGHTS IN A MULTIPOLAR WORLD: REALITY OR ILLUSION?
Are human rights a universal value — or a slogan shaped by the interests of major powers?

Universal human rights are one of the central pillars of international law, yet their validity is increasingly under pressure in a multipolar world. Major powers and digital platforms often employ the language of human rights to advance their strategic interests, raising the question of whether rights remain indivisible and universally applicable, or whether they are becoming instruments in geopolitical power games.

Today’s global environment shows that the values defined as universal in the mid-20th century may take on different meanings across various power centres and cultures. The accompanying debates highlight the stress test of human-rights universality, the real scope of freedom of expression in the digital sphere, and the erosion of value-based solidarity amid war, disinformation, and propaganda campaigns.

One of the central themes of the conference is the fate of Ukraine’s deported children. It raises a fundamental question: why does the international community remain so cautious in its actions when tens of thousands of children have been forcibly removed from their homes and their whereabouts remain unknown? And, even more sharply, do “universal values” apply equally to all children, or only to those whose suffering happens to be visible and in the media spotlight?

The conference brings together at the Swissôtel Tallinn speakers with profoundly different worldviews, whose contrasting perspectives help illuminate the real substance and vulnerability of human rights in today’s rapidly changing world. The discussions are intended to be experienced in person – no livestream is provided, in order to preserve the integrity of direct dialogue and the weight of what is said in the moment.

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