THE TWILIGHT OF PUBLIC INTERNATIONAL LAW? REFLECTING ON 21ST-CENTURY CHALLENGES IN A BRIEF DIALOGUE WITH THE WORK OF RUY BARBOSA

Abstract

This work aims to offer brief considerations on the general panorama, the normative maturity, and the possible decline of Public International Law (PIL) in the 21st century. The research consists of a qualitative bibliographic review. The main objective of the study is to analyze the trajectory of development and maturation of PIL in order to investigate the signs of its current crisis and decadence in the face of recent geopolitical tensions. The methodology used is based on the theoretical and historical analysis of the formation of the modern State, the sources of international law, and the currents of International Relations, using the ideas of Ruy Barbosa as a guiding thread. The main results obtained demonstrate that contemporary dynamics, marked by unilateral sanctions, armed conflicts, and the strategic control of resources, indicate the triumph of political realism, a scenario in which state powers act primarily in favor of their own interests. Finally, the conclusions point out that, despite this structural crisis and the instrumentalization of force denounced by Ruy Barbosa as the sanctification of war, the scenario should not lead to resignation. Overcoming the decline of PIL demands the revitalization and resumption of its moral and legal foundations, demonstrating that the international legal order remains an essential condition for civilizational survival and for the regulation of the relations of sovereign States themselves.