Event Date: October 19, 2026 - 5:00pm to 7:00pm
Location: TBT 112, 550 Cumberland St, Ottawa

Registration: Eventbrite

Presented by the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law – Common Law Section, CIPS, the International Commission of Jurists, the Human Rights Research and Education Centre (HRREC), the International Law Association, and the Neuberger-Jesin Professorship

Join us for a special screening of The Veto, a documentary examining the veto power of the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and the consequences of its use in the face of the gravest international crimes. Following the film, there will be an interactive panel discussion with Tim Slade, Jennifer Trahan and Ardi Imseis.

About the film

For 80 years, the veto power of the permanent members of the UN Security Council has been the subject of constant debate, both within and beyond the United Nations. The veto itself is not going anywhere—it is effectively “veto-proof”—but when vetoes are cast in situations involving genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity, obligations under international law and the UN Charter must be considered.

Such uses of the veto have contributed to massive loss of life, the displacement of millions, and an increasingly strained multilateral order. Featuring leading international experts, The Veto moves beyond assertions that change is impossible and explores practical paths toward breaking the deadlock in the Security Council.

Schedule:

5:00 p.m. – Arrival and welcome
5:15 p.m.– Screening of The Veto
6:15 p.m. – Panel discussion
6:50 p.m. – Closing remarks

Panel discussion guests

• Jennifer Trahan is a Professor at NYU’s Center for Global Affairs where she directs the Concentration in International Law and Human Rights. She also serves as Convenor of The Global Institute for the Prevention of Aggression. She is a leading expert on international law, international justice, international criminal tribunals, and, in particular, the crime of aggression. Her book, “Legal Limits to Security Council Veto Power in the Face of Atrocity Crimes” (Cambridge University Press 2020) was awarded the “2020 ABILA Book of the Year Award” by the American Branch of the ILA. She is delighted that her ideas in the book are featured in the documentary film, The Veto (Tim Slade, Director). Her most recent book, “The Crime of Aggression and Russia’s Invasion of Ukraine” was published in summer 2026 by Asser Press.

• Ardi Imseis is a Professor of International Law at Queen’s University with 25 years of international and domestic experience. Between 2002 and 2014, he served in senior legal and policy capacities with the United Nations in the Middle East and is former Senior Legal Counsel to the Chief Justice of Alberta. He served as a Member of the UN’s Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen (2019-2021). He has advised and served as legal counsel in cases before the International Court of Justice.

• Tim Slade is an award-winning director and producer. His films have been supported by broadcasters and funding bodies globally, and by the Ford, MacArthur, Rothschild, Henry Luce and Open Society Foundations, among others. His films have screened at over 80 international film festivals and been broadcast in more than 50 countries.