Call for Papers: Peace Diplomacy, Global Justice and International Agency: Rethinking Human Security and Ethics in the Spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld

The Hague Academic Coalition has issued a call for papers for a conference on "Peace Diplomacy, Global Justice and International Agency: Rethinking Human Security and Ethics in the Spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1961)," to be held in The Hague, November 9-10, 2011. Here's the call:

CALL FOR PAPERS

Peace Diplomacy, Global Justice and International Agency: Rethinking Human Security and Ethics in the Spirit of Dag Hammarskjöld (1905-1961)

Conference of the Hague Academic Coalition, Peace Palace, 9 and 10 November 2011

September 18, 2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the death of United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjöld who tragically passed away in a plane crash, on his way to cease-fire negotiations in the Katanga province of the Congo. The conflict in the Congo, which he worked so hard to end, re-emerged in the past decade and a half, with tragic consequences for the people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly Zaire). Hammarskjöld advocated a community-based vision of the United Nations in maintaining international peace and security. Central to his conception of an effective United Nations was his fundamental belief that states should respect the UN’s institutional neutrality, and so enable it to become an instrument and expression of the international community in pursuit of the Charter’s objectives. For Hammarskjöld, the UN’s primary responsibility was to do everything within its means to protect successive generations from the ravages of war.

The advent of the Arab Spring uprisings in the first half of 2011 provide us with a new context in which we might examine the continuing relevance of Dag Hammarskjöld’s approach to the maintenance of global peace and security. The advent of the Arab Spring uprisings in the first half of 2011 has posed new challenges for the UN’s capacity to respond, support and engage with a regional civilian revolt against repressive governance undertaken ostensibly in pursuit of the ideals of the International Bill of Rights. The passing of UN Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973 on Libya, and their reference to the Responsibility to Protect doctrine (R2P), mark an important moment in the Security Council’s approach to the maintenance of peace and security, and the UN’s interaction with other international actors (e,g., International Criminal Court, NATO, Arab League, African Union). These events, and the development of the collective security system, raise intriguing questions as to what extent contemporary approaches are still consistent with Hammarskjöld’s vision of the UN. This conference will examine whether and how Dag Hammarskjöld’s legacy can be used as a vehicle in reviewing these recent initiatives of the international community This timely and highly relevant commemorative conference on the continuing relevance of Dag Hammarskjöld’s approach does justice both to his pioneering thought and to the inspiration he can provide for those involved in promoting international cooperation for justice and peace at a time of momentous global change.

The Hague Academic Coalition invites the submission of paper abstracts (300 words maximum) on topics falling broadly within the theme of the conference. Papers addressing such issues as the critical relationship between justice, peace and democracy, and the continuing relevance of Dag Hammarskjöld’s approach to contemporary situations are especially welcome. Abstracts must be sent to secretariat@haguecoalition.org by 1 September 2011. For further information and the full text of the call for papers click here.