Reviving Accountability in International Humanitarian Law: A Conversation with Jeremy Konyndyk

“If the humanitarians are not speaking up, it’s easier for everyone else to ignore our protection problem.” — Jeremy Konyndyk Has the world stopped enforcing the rules meant to protect civilians in conflict? In this episode of Protection Leadership, Panos Moumtzis speaks with Jeremy Konyndyk, President of Refugees International, about the erosion of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the collapse of political consensus around civilian protection, and the difficult balance between operational access and principled advocacy. Drawing on decades of frontline experience (from the Balkans to Yemen, from leading USAID’s disaster response operations to coordinating global COVID-19 and MPox responses), Jeremy reflects on the growing strain on humanitarian norms. He examines how geopolitical fragmentation, shrinking resources, and inconsistent enforcement of international law have weakened protections for civilians. Together, they explore a central tension in humanitarian leadership: When should humanitarians prioritize access, and when must they risk it to speak out?Key TakeawaysThe Erosion of International Humanitarian Law Jeremy discusses the alarming decline in global commitment to International Humanitarian Law and civilian protection norms. When enforcement becomes politicized or selective, the credibility of IHL is weakened, and civilians pay the price.Balancing Advocacy and Humanitarian Access Humanitarian organizations often face a difficult trade-off: speak out and risk access, or stay quiet to preserve operations. Jeremy argues that differentiation within the system is essential. Advocacy organizations may need to be louder, while operational agencies must carefully navigate risk without abandoning principle.Protection Is Not Optional, It’s FoundationalAid delivery alone cannot prevent famine, displacement, or violence. Protection considerations must be embedded in the design and execution of humanitarian programs, from refugee camp policies to the rights to work and to freedom of movement.Reviving Accountability and “Shame” Jeremy makes the case that international protection norms once carried political cost for violators. Rebuilding accountability requires restoring consequences, including reputational consequences, for violations of civilian protection.Timestamps (02:41) Protection concerns in humanitarian aid (08:34) Have humanitarians become too risk-averse? (12:04) Controlling the narrative around civilian protection (13:52) When to speak loudly — and when to calibrate (19:18) Balancing operational ability and moral courage (24:05) How humanitarians can drive real protection impact (27:40) Examples of effective protection interventions (31:33) Why we need to “bring back shame” in international law (35:38) Advice for the next generation of humanitarian leadersGuest Bio: Jeremy Konyndyk Jeremy Konyndyk is the President of Refugees International, a leading advocacy organization focused on refugee rights, humanitarian protection, and displacement policy. He previously served in senior roles in both the Obama and Biden administrations. From 2013–2017, he was Director of USAID’s Office of U.S. Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), where he led U.S. responses to major global crises, including the West Africa Ebola outbreak, the Nepal earthquake, conflict in Syria and South Sudan, and the 2016 Ethiopia drought. In the Biden administration, Jeremy served as USAID’s lead official for COVID-19, overseeing a multi-billion-dollar global response portfolio and coordinating international vaccine donations under the Global VAX initiative. He later led the U.S. government’s global MPox response. Between government appointments, he was a senior policy fellow at the Center for Global Development, where he led the “Rethinking Humanitarian Reform” initiative, examining how to shift power toward crisis-affected populations and strengthen accountability in the humanitarian system.Discover More about Jeremy   Jeremy Konyndyk on LinkedIn If you enjoyed this episode of Protection Leadership, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. For more practical insights and real-world conversations that put protection at the heart of humanitarian action, visit geli.org.