Conference: Sovereignty in the 21st Century

On June 20, 2014, the Society of Legal Scholars International Law Section and the British Institute of International and Comparative Law will co-host the 23rd Conference on Theory and International Law. The theme of this year's conference is "Sovereignty in the 21st Century." Here's the idea:

Sovereignty is one of the core constructs of international law and international relations. Notwithstanding its historical importance as a key component in the relations between states, debates about the nature of sovereignty and its legal aspects abound. These debates have intensified in recent years. The rise of international human rights law has challenged the basic tenets of the classical conceptualisation of state sovereignty. The rise of international organisations, multinational corporations and grassroots social movements also pose questions about the role of sovereignty in international law. The growing numbers of ethnic conflicts raise questions about the circumstances in which state sovereignty can be over-ridden. The changing nature of interaction and interdependence in an increasingly complex world paradoxically simultaneously encourages debates about both the diminution of sovereignty as well as presenting new frontiers for the exercise of sovereignty.

This conference will address aspects of both the theoretical and practical dimensions of sovereignty in the 21st century.

Topics to be discussed include:

• The future of the concept of permanent sovereignty over natural resources;
• The future of the anthropomorphic conceptualisation of the state in the context of the debates concerning statehood and recognition;
• International law and the value of statehood;
• State power and corporate sovereignty;
• Monetary sovereignty; and
• Counterterrorism, international organisations and state sovereignty.