Benvenisti: Trustees of Humanity: From Juridical Metaphor to Legal Concept

Eyal Benvenisti (Tel Aviv Univ. - Law) has posted Trustees of Humanity: From Juridical Metaphor to Legal Concept. Here's the abstract:

The International Court of Justice's 2025 Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change deploys the phrase 'trustees of humanity' in the context of intergenerational equity, offering a striking convergence with the theory of sovereignty advanced in my Sovereigns as Trustees of Humanity (2013). This essay examines the relationship between the two. It argues that the Opinion supports the earlier theory in several important respectsrejecting purely domestic conceptions of sovereign responsibility, affirming sovereignty's embedment in a broader normative order, and requiring other-regarding conduct-while also developing it in ways unforeseen by the earlier account. The essay also argues that the trusteeship framework resolves a question the Opinion leaves open: when do States' obligations with respect to greenhouse gas emissions arise? Finally, the essay reflects on the Opinion's possible significance for the evolving grammar of sovereignty in light of contemporary geopolitical challenges.

Hersch Lauterpacht Memorial Lectures 2026

On June 8-10, 2026, Dapo Akande (Univ. of Oxford - Law) will deliver the 2026 Hersch Lauterpacht Memorial Lectures. The topic is: "Immunities of State Officials and Prosecutions for International Crimes - Where does the Law Stand?" Details are here.

Jones: The Invention of the Continental Shelf: Foreshores and Minerals under the Sea around Cornwall [1854] – an Arbitration between The Crown and The Duchy of Cornwall

Henry Jones (Univ. of Durham - Law) has posted The Invention of the Continental Shelf: Foreshores and Minerals under the Sea around Cornwall [1854] – an Arbitration between The Crown and The Duchy of Cornwall (British Yearbook of International Law, forthcoming) Here's the abstract:

The extension of coastal state sovereign rights over the sea and seabed up to 200 nautical miles was a seismic change in global order. It nearly doubled the amount of the globe subject to state sovereignty, an equivalent change in geopolitics to that of European colonialism. This article searches for the origin of this fundamental change, going back to the first international lawyers to write about the continental shelf, and following where they found historical precedent. I find the origin of the continental shelf in a mid-19th century dispute between the British Crown and the Duchy of Cornwall, over tin mines in that county. In this dispute the legal arguments and conceptual innovations needed for the continental shelf are invented. These innovations allowed for the extension of territory and sovereignty out to sea for the first time in a way which is familiar today. The invention of the continental shelf required nothing less than to fundamentally change how territory and sovereignty are understood.

Perez-Leon-Acevedo & Yepez: The Institutional Pillars of the Latin American Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Human Rights-Based Approach to Health

Juan-Pablo Perez-Leon-Acevedo & Jose Yepez have published The Institutional Pillars of the Latin American Response to the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Human Rights-Based Approach to Health (UCLA Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs, Vol. 29, no. 2, 2026). Here's the abstract:

Latin America has arguably been the most affected region by the COVID-19 pandemic, yet there is no academic article or academic publication on institutional regional responses to the pandemic concerning the right to health. Hence, this article aims to fill that scholarship gap by answering the following question: how have regional bodies responded to COVID-19 concerning the right to health in Latin America? It is overall argued and found herein that: (1) there is a regional system on the right to health in pandemics such as COVID-19, about which a human rights-based approach provides a unifying standard; and (2) this system is embedded within the Organization of American States’ three-pillar framework, consisting of the Pan-American Health Organization, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. A human rights-based approach to health, which relies on international human rights law on the right to health, is considered a key component of the conceptual general framework herein. The Article analyzes the COVID-19 related practices of the three above-mentioned bodies. A central part of this Article’s methodology utilizes findings of convergences, synergies, and divergences between those bodies regarding the right to health during pandemics like COVID-19.

Call for Papers: Mapping International Law’s Second Worlds: Middle Powers, Semi-Peripheries and Shifting Hierarchies in the Global Legal Order

A call for papers has been issued for the second Second World Approaches to International Law conference, to take place November 16-17, 2026, at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. The theme is: "Mapping International Law’s Second Worlds: Middle Powers, Semi-Peripheries and Shifting Hierarchies in the Global Legal Order." The call is here.

Conference: A Commitment to Global Multilateralism? Canada in the International Arena during the Trudeau Era (2015–2025)

On May 18–19, 2026, a conference on "A Commitment to Global Multilateralism? Canada in the International Arena during the Trudeau Era (2015–2025)" will be held at the University of Messina. Details are here.

Call for Papers: 2026 ASIL Research Forum

The American Society of International Law has issued a call for papers for its 2026 Research Forum, a part of the Society's Midyear Meeting, which will be held November 5-7, at Santa Clara University School of Law. The deadline is June 5, 2026, at 5:00pm EDT. The call is here.

Dothan: The Way to Hell: When International Law Violations Spiral Out of Control

Shai Dothan (Univ. of Copenhagen - Law) has posted The Way to Hell: When International Law Violations Spiral Out of Control (Arizona Journal of International and Comparative Law, forthcoming). Here's the abstract:

Severe violations of international law tend to spread from one country to another. No country would like to be left behind while its enemies or neighbors gain an advantage through violating international law. This paper investigates three case studies of extreme cascades into blatant international law violations: the growing practice of bombing cities during the Second World War, the spreading of the practice of torture after the terrorist attack on 9/11, and the expansion of the practice of targeted killings in recent years. The goal of these case studies is to illustrate the mechanisms that make a cascade towards increasing violations of international law likely to happen. By understanding these mechanisms, it is possible to think about how such harmful cascades can be slowed down, stopped, or even reversed.

New Issue: Chinese Journal of International Law

The latest issue of the Chinese Journal of International Law (Vol. 25, no. 1, March 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Editorial Comments in Honor of the United Nations at 80 and the Bandung Conference at 70 (Part I)
• Zhenmin LIU, United Nations to Be Reformed, Not Replaced: Toward a Better Shared Future for Humanity
• Xinxiang Shi & Zhengqian Li, The Role of the United Nations in the Maintenance of International Peace and Security
• Yang Liu, United Nations and Human Rights: A Brief Reflection
• Wei Shen, United Nations and Development
• Jinyuan Su, United Nations and Global Commons Governance
• Articles
• Lingjie Kong & Yanling Liu, Australia’s Obligations for the Acquisition and Operation of Nuclear Submarines under AUKUS: What Can Article 14 of its Comprehensive Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA Tell us?
• Dennis J Baker, From Regulation to Crime Control: Preventive Justice in the Governance of Global Markets
• Letters to the Journal
• Marco Longobardo, The Extraterritorial Application of Human Rights in Armed Conflict in the DRC v. Rwanda Case in the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights
• Xiaolin LI & Guangjian TU, Agudas Chasidei Chabad of U.S. v. Russian Federation: Reaffirming the Narrow Reach of the FSIA Expropriation Exception against Foreign States

New Issue: Journal of the History of International Law / Revue d'histoire du droit international

The latest issue of the Journal of the History of International Law / Revue d'histoire du droit international (Vol. 28, no. 1, 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Rémi Fuhrmann, Localising Civil Wars: International Law, the Spanish Civil War, and the Institutionalisation of ‘Non-Intervention’
• Eleni Ilia, On Creating a Space Power: The United States, International Law, and the Shaping of Outer Space in the 1950s and 1960s
• Julian Lubini, The Beginnings of International Nature Conservation Law with the Svalbard (Spitsbergen) Treaty of 1920: A Transnational Initiative of European Natural and Legal Scientists

Conference: 2026 ASIL Abroad

On July 6-7, 2026, the American Society of International Law will host its third ASIL Abroad at Torcuato Di Tella University, Buenos Aires. The theme is: "The International Legal Order at a Crossroads: Rupture, Resilience, and Renewal." Registration and details are here.

New Issue: International Legal Materials

The latest issue of International Legal Materials (Vol. 65, no. 2, April 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty Over Islands (Gabon/Eq. Guinea) (I.C.J.), with introductory note by Gleider Hernández
• The Agreement Between the Council of Eur. and Ukr. on the Establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukr. and the Statute of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression Against Ukr., with introductory note by David M. Crane
• Regulation 2024/1348/EU Establishing a Common Procedure for Int’l Protection in the Union and Repealing Directive 2013/32/EU (E.U.), with introductory note by Vasiliki Apatzidou

Event: Litigating Genocides

On May 18, 2026, a speech and panel discussion will be held on "Litigating Genocides," in Venice and on streaming. Details are here.

New Issue: La Comunità Internazionale

The latest issue of La Comunità Internazionale (Vol. 81, no. 1, 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Interventi
• Gianpaolo Maria Ruotolo, Su taluni profili del rapporto tra guerra e disinformazione nel diritto internazionale
• Articoli e Saggi
• Agostina Latino, Deadly Rhythms: The Sonic Dimension of Incitement to Genocide in International Law
• Rita Mazza, Sea-level rise e continuità dello Stato nel parere della Corte internazionale di giustizia sul cambiamento climatico: questioni aperte
• Alan Amadio, Il crimine “eccezionale”: recenti sviluppi in tema di criminalizzazione dell’aggressione
• Miriam Schettini, Is It Time to Reconsider the Creation of an African Criminal Court? Some Reflections Following Angola’s Recent Ratification of the Malabo Protocol
• Osservatorio Europeo
• Giuseppet Emanuele Corsaro, Un’iniziativa team Europe? Il Piano Mattei, la solidarietà internazionale e le sfide della nuova politica italiana di cooperazione allo sviluppo nel Mediterraneo
• Osservatorio Diritti Umani
• Francesco Viggiani, Guerra e soggetti “invisibili”: la condizione degli anziani nella Striscia di Gaza tra diritto internazionale e ordini di evacuazione
• Note e Commenti
• Claudio Di Turi, Il secondo Vertice mondiale per lo sviluppo sociale: esiti, criticità e prospettive future
• Andrea D'Orrio, La corsa all’Artico: la prospettiva geopolitica russa

Call for Papers: Athens International Young Scholars Conference on Space Law

A call for papers has been issued for the 2026 Athens International Young Scholars Conference on Space Law, which will take place September 11-12, 2026, at the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. The theme is: "Weaponising the Final Frontier: Outer Space Militarisation and the Legal Boundaries of Jus ad Bellum and Jus in Bello." The call is here.

Conference: International Law in Transformation: Global Challenges, Sustainability, and Legal Innovation

On June 5, 2026, the third meeting on Current Issues and Challenges in International Law will take place at Lusófona University, in Porto. The theme is: “International Law in Transformation: Global Challenges, Sustainability, and Legal Innovation.” Details are here.

Call for Papers: 55th Annual Conference of the Canadian Council on International Law

The Canadian Council on International Law has issued a call for papers for its 55th Annual Conference, which will take place October 29-30, 2026, in Ottawa. The theme is "Bend, Not Break: Resilience and Evolution of International Law." The call is here.

New Issue: World Trade Review

The latest issue of the World Trade Review (Vol. 25, no. 2, May 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Hao-Zhe He, Gen-Fu Feng, & Chun-Ping Chang, The Impact of ESG Gaps on Green Exports in Bilateral Trade: A Linear and Nonlinear Analysis
• Romus Noufelie & Boris Landry Djamen, Global Value Chain Integration, Quality of Institutions and Multidimensional Energy Poverty in African Countries
• Axel Berger, Ali Dadkhah, Florian Gitt, Zoryana Olekseyuk, & Jakob Schwab, The Investment Facilitation Index (IFI): Quantifying Domestic Investment Facilitation Frameworks
• Leopoldo Biffi & Christian Winkler, Tightening or Loosening? The Effects of Uncertainty on the Design of Preferential Trade Agreements
• Niels Lachmann, Technical Dialogue or Political Statements? Members’ Concerns about Digital Trade at WTO Committees and Councils
• Sunayana Sasmal, Let’s Get Critical: Critical Minerals Mini Deals as Evolving Models of Trade Cooperation

Call for Papers: Asian Cities and the International Legal Order 2.0: Urban Challenges and International Law in Asia

A call for papers has been issued for the SMU-Max Planck Workshop "Asian Cities and the International Legal Order 2.0: Urban Challenges and International Law in Asia," which will take place November 2-3, 2026, at the Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University. The call is here.

New Issue: Human Rights Quarterly

The latest issue of the Human Rights Quarterly (Vol. 48, no. 2, May 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Paul Hunt, Empowering Human Rights for Revolutionary Change
• Jennifer Bates, Beyond Territorialization? State Constructions of the Indigenous Subject of Rights in Multicultural Colombia
• Omar G. Encarnación, Confronting Historical Injustices: The Politics of Gay Reparations
• Aleydis Nissen, The Right to Access Sport for All in Europe
• Jeremy Julian Sarkin & Benjamin Dugdale, How Selective Interventionism Trumps Human Rights Protection: A Configurational Analysis of the United Nations Security Council’s Disparate Response to Genocide
• Katarzyna Sękowska-Kozłowska & Katarzyna Ważyńska-Finck, Vulnerable and Empowered? Girls in the Practice of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women and the Committee on the Rights of the Child

Webinar: Global Health Law and Governance Between Progress and Challenges

On May 5, 2026, a third webinar will be held in the ESIL Conversations series “Multilateralism in Times of Unilateralism.” The topic is: “Global Health Law and Governance Between Progress and Challenges.” Details are here.

Sayapin: A Central Asian Perspective on International Law

Sergey Sayapin (KIMEP Univ​. - Law) has published A Central Asian Perspective on International Law (Hart Publishing 2026). Here's the abstract:

This book offers the first full-length, systematic account of international law as seen and applied from the perspective of Central Asia.

Since gaining independence from the Soviet Union in 1991, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have gradually emerged as active participants in the international legal order. Drawing on their evolving statehood and regional cooperation, this book explores how the Central Asian States engage with the rules, principles, and institutions of international law.

Across 15 chapters, the book covers key areas of international law – from the nature and sources of international law to the law of treaties, international responsibility, and peaceful settlement of disputes – as well as specialist regimes including international human rights, humanitarian and criminal law, international peace and security, and international trade law. Dedicated chapters address the status of the Caspian Sea, the role of international organisations and non-State actors, and the domestic implementation of international norms.

Through rigorous legal analysis and rich empirical references, the book also examines Central Asian constitutional and policy approaches to international law, regional mechanisms of dispute settlement, and case studies such as the legal status of the Caspian Sea, the Central Asian Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone, and the development of institutional arbitration in the region, including the Astana International Financial Centre and the Tashkent International Arbitration Centre. The analysis highlights how the region's engagement with international law reflects both adaptation to global norms and the emergence of context-specific legal practices.

Douglas: The Criminal State: War, Atrocity, and the Dream of International Justice

Lawrence Douglas (Amherst College) has published The Criminal State: War, Atrocity, and the Dream of International Justice (Princeton Univ. Press 2026). Here's the abstract:

The Criminal State offers a gripping account of how law has confronted the most radical forms of state violence. Beautifully written, broad in scope, and bracingly original, it weaves history with political thought to trace the shifting legal response to state aggression and atrocities, from Leopold’s rule over the Congo to Putin’s war in Ukraine.

At its heart is Lawrence Douglas’s fresh interpretation of the law’s reckoning with Nazi aggression and atrocity. He shows how the Nuremberg trials challenged centuries of thought—rooted in Hobbes and other canonical thinkers—that shielded sovereigns from legal scrutiny. Yet Nuremberg’s bid to frame aggression as the cornerstone of a new order of international criminal law largely failed, giving way to a system now centrally concerned with crimes against humanity and genocide—while leaving unresolved the legality and effectiveness of using force to stop the worst violations of human rights.

Providing rare historical perspective on the dilemmas facing international courts, The Criminal State is a sweeping, provocative history of the struggle to bring perpetrators of state violence to justice.

Workshop: International Law and the Strategic Use of Economic Coercion

On May 5, 2026, Bocconi University will host a workshop on "International Law and the Strategic Use of Economic Coercion." The event will also be accessible online. Details are here.

New Issue: Chicago Journal of International Law

The latest issue of the Chicago Journal of International Law (Vol. 26, no. 2, Winter 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Rangita de Silva de Alwis, "Because We Take Our Values to War": Analyzing the Views of UN Member States on AI-Driven Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems
• Shai Dothan, The Seeds of Peace and Justice
• Aaron X. Fellmeth, The Territorial Independence of Intellectual Property Rights
• Peter J. Spiro, Balancing Nationalities in International Investment Law

Cimiotta: Ukraine peace treaty, territorial concessions, and international law

Emanuele Cimiotta (Università degli Studi di Perugia) has posted Ukraine peace treaty, territorial concessions, and international law (Journal of Conflict and Security Law, forthcoming). Here's the abstract:

Shortly after, in January 2025, the new US administration took office, and Ukraine peace talks began. To end the war that Russia started more than three years ago, a peace deal is not a utopia anymore. Ukraine has consistently made clear that no negotiations are possible until its territorial integrity is fully restored. In contrast, Russia has repeatedly stated that talks are only possible based on the ‘new realities’ on the ground. To date, lawyers have debated the question of whether international law permits aggressor States to retain territorial gains under a peace treaty. This article investigates the legal position of Ukraine. It discusses whether international law permits attacked States to give up territory as a last resort measure to reach a viable peace deal. More specifically, it explores the extent to which international law restrains Ukrainian consent to territorial concessions. As under the circumstances of the ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine, the legality of land transfers pursuant to the law of state responsibility and the law of treaties is controversial, and its assessment overlooks the manifold interests at stake, this article suggests reframing the matter in terms of a conflict between two jus cogens norms. On the one hand, the prohibition of aggression, assuming that it goes as far as forbidding territorial concessions that would indirectly condone forceful territorial acquisitions. On the other hand, the right of self-determination, assuming that it grants the Ukrainian people the absolute right to freely determine their territorial status in a peace treaty. Thus, the issue arises of how to solve this conflict. Apparently, positive international law lacks a ready-to-use rule to do so. However, the principles of proportionality and of peaceful dispute settlement may guide the process. They require a complex interpretative activity, in light of a number of criteria, to craft a treaty that could balance both norms. The goal is to preserve each norm as much as possible and ensure lasting peace.

New Issue: International Criminal Law Review

The latest issue of the International Criminal Law Review (Vol. 26, no. 2, 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Mark Klamberg, War Crimes Trials Before Domestic Courts in Ukraine – Making the Case for a Differentiated Approach to International Law
• Roman Tashian, Nataliia Smetanina, Ilona Konovalova, Sergiy Kharytonov, & Oleksii V. Tavolzhanskyi, Implementation of International Anti-Corruption Standards into Ukrainian Legislation
• Achmad Irwan Hamzani, Sami’an Sami’an, & Nur Khasanah, Restorative Justice and Legal Pluralism in Indonesia: Implications for Atrocity Crimes and Global Criminal Justice Reform
• Ligeia Quackelbeen, Rethinking Treaty Interpretation and Crime Interpretation at the ICC
• Karolina Nabożna & Klaus Bachmann, Taking Stock of Syria’s Approach to Transitional Justice

New Issue: American Journal of International Law

The latest issue of the American Journal of International Law (Vol. 120, no. 2, April 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Article
• Jason Yackee, Legal Entrepreneurship and the Invention of Legal Meaning: Revisiting Lord Asquith’s Abu Dhabi Award
• Current Development
• Aldo Zammit Borda, Stefan Mandelbaum, & Andrea Maria Pelliconi, The ILC Study on Teachings as Subsidiary Means: Arguments for a Pluralist Reading
• In Memoriam
• Adrien Wing, In Memoriam Henry J. Richardson III (1941–2025)
• International Decisions
• John H. Knox, Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change, Advisory Opinion
• Riccardo Di Marco, Case of The J. Paul Getty Trust and Others v. Italy, Judgment
• Fabian Eichberger, Angel Samuel Seda and Others v. The Republic of Colombia, Award
• Yury Rovnov, European Union and Certain Member States — Certain Measures Concerning Palm Oil and Oil Palm Crop-Based Biofuels (Malaysia); European Union — Certain Measures Concerning Palm Oil and Oil Palm Crop-Based Biofuels (Indonesia), Panel Report
• Arman Sarvarian, Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty Over Islands (Gabon v. Equatorial Guinea), Judgment
• Contemporary Practice of the United States Relating to International Law
• The Security Council Adopts Resolution Endorsing the United States’ “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict”
• The United States Withdraws Its Participation in the Human Rights Council’s Universal Periodic Review
• The United States Attacks Venezuela and Abducts President Nicolás Maduro
• President Trump Instructs the Department of War to Start Testing Nuclear Weapons
• President Trump Issues Executive Order Providing Qatar with a U.S. Security Guarantee
• Recent Books on International Law
• Christian Tams, reviewing A “Constitution for the Oceans”: The Long Hard Road to the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, by Kirsten Sellars
• Kristina Daugirdas, reviewing Ways of Seeing International Organisations: New Perspectives for International Institutional Law, edited by Negar Mansouri and Daniel R. Quiroga-Villamarín
• Afroditi Giovanopoulou, reviewing The New Haven School: American International Law, by Ríán Derrig
• Rachel Brewster, reviewing Industrial Policy, National Security, and the Perilous Plight of the WTO, by Petros C. Mavroidis

AJIL Unbound Symposium: The Future of a Melting Arctic: Challenges for International Law

AJIL Unbound has posted a symposium on “The Future of a Melting Arctic: Challenges for International Law.” The symposium includes an introduction by Daniel Bodansky and Beatriz Martinez Romera, and contributions by Amanda H. Lynch and Charles H. Norchi , Carl Graefe and Sherri Goodman, David Balton and Timo Koivurova, Kevin A. Baumert, Romain Chuffart and Aaron M. Cooper, A. Stella Ebbersmeyer and Beatriz Martinez Romera, and Daniel Bodansky and Yoshifumi Tanaka.

Call for Papers: IHL Beyond States: New Patterns, New Spaces, and New Actors in Armed Conflicts

A call for papers has been issued for a conference on "IHL Beyond States: New Patterns, New Spaces, and New Actors in Armed Conflicts," to take place October 16, 2026, at the University of Belgrade Faculty of Political Science. Topics include: The Globalization of Non-International Armed Conflicts; Civilian Protection at the Breaking Point; New Spaces of Conflict: From Cyberspace to the Global Commons; and New Actors in Armed Conflicts. Marco Sassòli (Univ. of Geneva) will deliver a keynote. The call is here.

New Issue: Business and Human Rights Journal

The latest issue of the Business and Human Rights Journal (Vol. 11, no. 1, February 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Articles
• Etienne Roy Grégoire, Marc-André Anzueto, Bonnie Campbell, Mélisande Séguin, Nancy R. Tapias Torrado, & Karen Hamilton, ‘Do-it-Yourself FPIC’: The Political Grammar of Canada’s Normative Entrepreneurship in the Global Extractive Sector
• Leonard Feld, Leading the Way or Crossing the Line? The Extraterritorial Dimension of the EU Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence
• Eva Nave, Criminal Hate Speech Attributable to Online Platforms: A Call for a Thorough Corporate Remedial Responsibilities Framework in Europe
• Naphtali Ukamwa, Towards a Definition of a Sustainable Corporation Under the International Frameworks on Business and Human Rights
• Developments in the Field Symposium; Business and Human Rights and the arms industry: challenges, prospects, and current dynamics
• Valentina Azarova, León Castellanos-Jankiewicz, Tomas Hamilton, Cannelle Lavite, & Chloe Bailey, Corporate Accountability in the Arms Sector: Possibilities, Limits, and Visions of Justice
• Shahd Hammouri, Reckoning With the Paradox of Regulating the Arms Industry: The Context of Palestine
• Lana Baydas, Human Rights Due Diligence Within the Arms Industry: Challenges, Practices and Opportunities
• Marina Aksenova, The Arms Industry and International Criminal Liability: Challenging the Status Quo?
• Michael Marchant & Zenkosi Mathe, ‘Offshoring’ Weapons Production and Implications for Export Controls: Lessons from South Africa
• Hiruni Alwishewa, Addressing the Human Rights Risks of Financing the Arms Industry: Insights from Banks’ Corporate Policies
• Emma Baldi, Arms Exports and the Right to Life: The RWM Italia Case
• Cynthia L. Ebbs, Advancing the Humanitarian Imperative of the Arms Trade Treaty: Public and Private Sector Engagement in Responsible Arms Transfers
• Antonio Guzmán Mutis, Corporate Duties of the Arms Industry at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights: A Tale of Risk and Attribution
• Julie Février & Sarra Dajean, Corporate Complicity in International Crimes: Implications of the Lafarge Jurisprudence for the Arms Industry

Webinar: Toward a Treaty on Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters

On April 22, 2026, a second webinar will be held in the ESIL Conversations series “Multilateralism in Times of Unilateralism.” The topic is: “Towards a Treaty on Protection of Persons in the Event of Disasters.” Details are here.

New Issue: Global Responsibility to Protect

The latest issue of Global Responsibility to Protect (Vol. 18, nos. 1-2, 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Articles
• Md Syful Islam, Were Crimes Against Humanity Committed During the July 2024 Crackdown on Student Protests in Bangladesh? A Legal Analysis
• Havva Yeşil, The Compatibility of the EU-Turkey Statement with EU Law and International Human Rights Law
• Jan Hornat, Aporia and Responsibilisation in the Liberal International Order
• Intervention
• Helder Ferreira do Vale, The Venezuelan Crisis: From Multilateral R2P to US Unilateral Control

New Issue: The Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals

The latest issue of The Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals (Vol. 24, no. 2, 2025) is out. Contents include:

• Niccolò Lanzoni, The International Judicial Function and How We Think About It: Non Liquet, Revisited
• Zhifeng Jiang, Negotiation as a Precondition for Seizing the International Court of Justice
• Antoine De Spiegeleir, Consecutive Provisional Measures Requests at the World Court: More of the Same?
• Bruno Simma, When “Community Interest” Intervenes: Article 62 of the ICJ Statute Facing Obligations erga omnes (partes)
• Nasim Zargarinejad, Shadowing Adversarial Proceedings? The ICJ’s Lesser-Known Discretion in Advisory Procedure
• Miłosz Gapsa, Clarifying the Unclear: Requests for Modification, Revocation, and New Provisional Measures

Nakajima & Kato: The Governing Law of Unlawfully Issued Sovereign Debt

Kei Nakajima (Univ. of Tokyo - Law) & Shiho Kato (Univ. of Tokyo - Law) have published The Governing Law of Unlawfully Issued Sovereign Debt (Northwestern Journal of International Law and Business, Vol. 46, no. 1, p. 39, 2026). Here's the abstract:

In October 2019, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), a Venezuelan state owned oil and natural gas company, filed a complaint against the trustee and the collateral agent of PDVSA’s bondholders, alleging that certain bonds due in 2020 issued in exchange for the defaulted bonds due in 2017 are null and void ab initio. The main cause of action was that the 2020 bonds had been issued in violation of the provisions of the Venezuelan Constitution. This contention was advanced notwithstanding that the 2020 bonds provide that “all matters arising out of or relating in any whatsoever” to the instruments shall be governed by the law of New York. At the same time, New York’s conflict-of-laws statute contains a rule providing that “[t]he local law of the issuer’s jurisdiction … governs … the validity of a security,” which was discovered and invoked by the (sub-)sovereign debtor as a relatively uncommon ground for the repudiation of its external debt. The federal district court dismissed the plaintiffs’ contention by adopting a narrow reading of the term “validity” within the meaning of New York’s conflict of-laws rule, whereas the Court of Appeals of New York State showed an opposite but nuanced interpretation by concluding that Venezuelan law does govern the validity of the PDVSA’s bonds, but with the repeated caveats that the consequences of eventual invalidity remain to be governed by New York law. The present article examines the governing law of sovereign debt issued allegedly in contravention of the sovereign debtor’s constitutional and budgetary constraints, with special reference to the case brought by PDVSA before New York courts. It aims to identify the role of private international law as a device for global governance by which the application of a sovereign’s budgetary disciplines is ensured to serve the public policy objectives of sovereign debt sustainability.

Subedi: Interlinkages between human rights, climate action and due diligence obligations of states: Potential impact on business organizations

Surya P. Subedi (Univ. of Leeds - Law) has published Interlinkages between human rights, climate action and due diligence obligations of states: Potential impact on business organizations (Environmental Policy and Law, Vol. 55, no. 6, 2025). Here's the abstract:

The International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its landmark Advisory Opinion of 23 July 2025, has established a clear connection between human rights, climate action and due diligence obligations of States under treaty and customary international law. The Court appears to have elevated the concept of due diligence from a relatively soft principle to a powerful standard, against which to assess compliance of international obligations by states. In their turn, States are likely to pass on these obligations to business organisations too through various human rights and environmental due diligence schemes. There are various reporting requirements of the European Union for business organisations through several schemes that already point to a move in this direction. Thus, the impact of this ICJ Advisory Opinion is not limited to States per se. It has the potential to require business organisations to adhere to an international human rights and environmental due diligence standard, against which their own policies and practices can be evaluated. The paper seeks to examine this perspective.

Burgers, Kooijman, Pantazopoulos, & Paulussen: Ecocide: Criminalising Serious Harm against the Environment

Laura Burgers (Univ. of Amsterdam - Law), Merle Kooijman (Univ. of Amsterdam - Law), Stavros Evdokimos Pantazopoulos (National and Kapodistrian Univ. of Athens – Law), & Christophe Paulussen (T.M.C. Asser Institute) have published Ecocide: Criminalising Serious Harm against the Environment (Asser Press 2026). Here’s the abstract:

Ecocide: Criminalising Serious Harm against the Environment explores the concept of ecocide and critically assesses how the criminalisation of serious harm against the environment fits within international criminal law broadly construed. It aims to assist in fleshing out crucial parameters in the lead-up to the potential inclusion of the fifth core international crime in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (ICC), as well as in relation to efforts to criminalise ecocide at the national level, both of which have gained unprecedented momentum in recent times.

To this end, the volume’s chapters address four key questions: what constitutes ecocide, how can it be prosecuted, where should it be prosecuted, and who are its perpetrators and victims? In addition to more practice-focused chapters, including case studies on the Netherlands and Ukraine, the book analyses and challenges fundamental conceptual issues, including the binary opposition between ‘anthropocentrism’ and ‘ecocentrism’ in the ecocide discourse. The reader is confronted with and forced to reflect on intriguing questions such as: is it fair to only prosecute representatives of large business corporations and state officials, while letting consumers of polluting products off the hook? And does the legal framework of the ICC allow for the recognition of nonhumans, such as the environment, as victims of ecocide?

New Issue: Swiss Review of International and European Law

The latest issue of the Swiss Review of International and European Law (2026, no. 1) is out. Contents include:

• Robert Kolb, L’interdiction de livraison « indirecte » d’armes à un belligérant par un Etat neutre
• Denise Wohlwend, Beyond Territory – Jurisdictional and Legitimacy Reflections on the EU CSRD and CSDDD

New Issue: Yale Journal of International Law

The latest issue of the Yale Journal of International Law (Vol. 51, no. 1, 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Eliav Lieblich, The Death and Life of the Prohibition on Forcible Reprisals
• Monica Hakimi, Thinking Constructively About International Law
• Abadir M. Ibrahim & Angela Hefti, Contributions of the African Human Rights System to International Climate Law

New Issue: Military Law and the Law of War Review / Revue de Droit Militaire et de Droit de la Guerre

The latest issue of the Military Law and the Law of War Review / Revue de Droit Militaire et de Droit de la Guerre (Vol. 63, no. 2, 2025) is out. Contents include:

• Joop Voetelink, Export control and international law
• Liron A. Libman & Amichai Cohen, Why do we enforce the law against IHL violations? Reason-giving in Israeli court-martial judgments
• Winthrop Wells, Military information as evidence of the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’s crimes
• Maxime Nijs, The invisible battlefield: applying the rules of international humanitarian law on the conduct of hostilities to jamming and spoofing operations

New Issue: Review of International Organizations

The latest issue of the Review of International Organizations (Vol. 21, no. 1, March 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Special Issue: Domestic politics and international organizations
• T. Renee Bowen, J. Lawrence Broz, & Christina J. Schneider, Domestic politics and international organizations
• Tom Hunter & Stefanie Walter, International organizations in national parliamentary debates
• Bernd Schlipphak, Constantin Schäfer, & Oliver Treib, Cosmopolitan identity, authority, and domestic support of international organizations
• Haillie Na-Kyung Lee & Jong Hyun Lee, Why settle?: Partisan-based explanation of investor-state dispute outcomes
• Jennifer L. Tobin, Beyond investment flows: How perceptions of property rights drive the impact of IIAs
• Michael-David Mangini, How effective is trade conditionality? Economic coercion in the Generalized System of Preferences
• Rachel J. Schoner, Naming and shaming in UN treaty bodies: Individual petitions’ effect on human rights
• Arianna Bondi, Leonardo Baccini, Matteo Fiorini, Bernard Hoekman, Carlo Altomonte & Italo Colantone , Global value chains and the design of trade agreements

Call for Papers: The Future of International Peace and Security: Conceptualizing the Securitization of Climate Change

A call for papers has been issued for a workshop on "The Future of International Peace and Security: Conceptualizing the Securitization of Climate Change," to take place October 19, 2026, at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. The call is here. The deadline is April 20, 2026.

Takata: Pluralising Actors and Norms in Human Rights Treaties: Beyond Monolithic States

Hinako Takata (Osaka Univ. - Graduate School of International Public Policy) has published Pluralising Actors and Norms in Human Rights Treaties: Beyond Monolithic States (Hart Publishing 2026). Here's the abstract:

This book radically reforms the classical paradigm of international law.

It proposes a novel theoretical framework of the 'separation of powers in a globalised democratic society', where both actors and norms are pluralised beyond a unitary and monolithic 'state' and international law as norms of, by, and for 'states'.

The book applies this framework to holistically examine the interactions between human rights treaty organs – the European Court of Human Rights, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, and the UN Human Rights Committee – and state organs, including parliaments, courts, administrative organs, and national human rights institutions. The book provides an innovative, original contribution to both the theory and practice of international human rights law.

Vasiliev & Blokker: Governance of International Courts and Tribunals: Institutions, Practices, and Norms

Sergey Vasiliev (Open Univ. of the Netherlands - Law) & Niels Blokker (Leiden Univ. - Law) have published Governance of International Courts and Tribunals: Institutions, Practices, and Norms (Oxford Univ. Press 2026). Here's the abstract:

Governance of International Courts and Tribunals presents the first systematic examination of the institutions, practices, and norms that constitute international judicial governance—the oversight exercised by states and international organisations over international courts and tribunals to ensure their independent, accountable, and effective functioning.

Departing from the traditional focus on courts' mandates, jurisprudence, and procedures, the book turns attention to international judicial governance institutions (what the book terms 'injugovins')—the political and executive bodies, such as organs of international organisations or dedicated governance bodies, responsible for overseeing courts. It explores their practices and the normative frameworks that guide them.

Injugovins are revealed as crucial yet long-overlooked actors in the international adjudicative landscape. Their performance shapes the entire life cycle of courts—from the adoption of constituent instruments to budgeting, appointments, accountability mechanisms, institutional reform, enforcement, and closure. Many of the challenges faced by courts, including legitimacy crises, limited effectiveness, and political backlash, often stem from, or are worsened by, governance shortcomings.

Addressing a long-standing gap in the literature, the volume develops a shared vocabulary and conceptual framework for understanding international judicial governance as a distinct domain of international institutional law and practice. Comprising 24 contributions, it combines conceptual analysis, regime-specific studies, and cross-cutting functional perspectives. It maps historical and contemporary governance models—including those of the PCIJ, ICJ, CJEU, ICC, and African regional courts—and examines key functions such as judicial elections, financial oversight, and enforcement. With empirical depth and analytical clarity, this volume lays the foundations for future research on the legitimacy, oversight, and effectiveness of international courts.

Conference: 33rd Annual ANZSIL Conference

On July 1-3, 2026, the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law will hold its 33rd Annual Conference at the Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Law. The theme is: "Navigating Stormy Seas: People, Place and Perspectives in International Law." Details are here.

Longobardo: Sufficient Gravity before the International Criminal Court

Marco Longobardo (Univ. of Westminster - Law) has published Sufficient Gravity before the International Criminal Court (Edward Elgar Publishing 2026). This is the latest volume in the Elgar International Law Series. Here's the abstract:

Challenging the view that sufficient gravity is mainly a tool for prosecutorial discretion, this book reconstructs the interpretation of this criterion and argues for its assessment in objective and legally grounded terms. Marco Longobardo expertly examines case law and prosecutorial practice pertaining to situations and cases under Article 17(1)(d) of the Rome Statute of the ICC to inform his criticism of the assessment of sufficient gravity.

The book reviews the assessment of sufficient gravity to evaluate the decisions of the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) and case law of the Chambers. Chapters explore case studies such as the Lubanga and Ntaganda arrest warrants and the boarding of the Mavi Marmara. Combining jurisprudential and international law perspectives, Longobardo analyses the rules of treaty interpretation and applies them as a methodological framework to assess sufficient gravity.

Sufficient Gravity before the International Criminal Court is a crucial resource for scholars and students in international criminal law and justice and public international law. This book’s scrutinisation of sufficient gravity provides guidance to ICC organs and parties and contributes to the reinforcement of the ICC project. It is also beneficial for practitioners and NGOs working on issues pertaining to sufficient gravity before the ICC.

Krieger, Jokubauskaite, Ozcelik, & Buser: From Protracted Conflict to Sustainable Peace? The Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus and International Law

Heike Krieger (Freie Universität Berlin - Law), Giedre Jokubauskaite (Univ. of Glasgow - Law), Asli Ozcelik (Univ. of Glasgow - Law), & Andreas Buser (Freie Universität Berlin - Law) have published From Protracted Conflict to Sustainable Peace? The Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus and International Law (Oxford Univ. Press 2026). Here's the abstract:

Across the globe, the number of protracted armed conflicts is rising, with many societies enduring the consequences of violence and conflict-related socio-economic disruption for decades. These enduring conflicts present complex and evolving challenges—legal, (geo)political, institutional, humanitarian, developmental, and environmental—that demand new approaches. In response, policy frameworks increasingly advocate for the so-called humanitarian-development-peace nexus (the ‘triple nexus’), which seeks to bridge traditionally siloed agendas in favour of a more integrated response to protracted conflict. Yet, despite growing policy interest, the legal dimensions of protracted conflict and the implications of the triple nexus remain under-explored in international law. From Protracted Conflict to Sustainable Peace? offers the first comprehensive legal and interdisciplinary examination of how international law engages with the realities of protracted conflict. Drawing on a wide range of legal fields—including international humanitarian law, development law, economic law, refugee law, human rights law, international criminal law, and peacebuilding law—contributors explore how legal regimes interact, overlap, and at times conflict in these complex settings. Through a conceptual framework and a series of thematic chapters, the volume addresses the lived impacts of protracted conflict, the role of international institutions and the challenges they face, and the potential of human rights frameworks to respond to long-term crises. It provides scholars and practitioners with a vital resource for rethinking legal strategies in the face of enduring violence and for imagining pathways toward sustainable peace.

New Issue: Questions of International Law

The latest issue of Questions of International Law / Questioni di Diritto Internazionale (no. 115, 2026) is out. Contents include:

• Bridges and shields in the law of immunity of international organizations? The 2025 ICJ’s advisory opinion and the issue of UNRWA’s immunities (Part I)
• Introduced by Beatrice Bonafè and Maurizio Arcari
• Eleonora Castro, United Nations’ immunities: Abuses and disputes settlement
• Bernardo Mageste Castelar Campos, The inviolability of the United Nations in armed conflicts: International Humanitarian Law and the ICJ’s UNRWA Advisory Opinion
• Rafael Fonseca Melo, Qualifying UN organs for purposes of immunities recognition: The status of UNRWA in light of Estate of Kedem Simon Tov v UNRWA and the 2025 ICJ Advisory Opinion
• Franco Di Pede, From provisional agreement to unilateral termination: The Michelmore–Comay Exchange of Letters in the ICJ Advisory Opinion of 22 October 2025

New Volume: Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law

The latest volume of the Yearbook of International Humanitarian Law (Vol. 27, 2024) is out. Contents include:

• International Humanitarian Law Under Pressure
• Zoi Lafazani, Sieges as Indiscriminate Attacks Under International Humanitarian Law: Is a Lawful Siege of a Populated Area a Contradiction in Terms?
• Antonio Mariconda, International Humanitarian Law’s Protection of Healthcare Under Pressure: An Assessment of the IDF’s Approach to “Hospital Shields” and “Acts Harmful to the Enemy” in the Conduct of Hostilities in Gaza
• Eitan Diamond & Ellen Nohle, Humanitarian Displacement? The (Mis-)Appropriation of Humanitarian Principles to Justify Mass Displacement
• Mark Lattimer, Objective and Subjective Tests for Determining Violations of the Law of Targeting: The Unreasonable Commander and the Guilty Mind
• Jessica Dorsey & Luke Moffett, The Warification of International Humanitarian Law and the Artifice of Artificial Intelligence in Decision-Support Systems: Restoring Balance Through the Legitimacy of Military Operations
• Audrey Fino, Silently Present: The Overlooked Prohibition of Harmful Speech in International Humanitarian Law
• Carolina Trejos Carvajal, Incorporating the Protection of Marine Species into the Obligations of the Occupying Power
• Year in Review
• Hendrik Mathis Drößler, Cheya Took and Katerina Lefkidou, Year in Review 2024

Book Launch: Sufficient Gravity before the International Criminal Court

On April 24, 2026, The research center International Law at Westminster will host a book launch of Sufficient Gravity before the International Criminal Court (Edward Elgar 2026) by Marco Longobardo (Univ. of Westminster), at Westminster Law School, in person. The book is latest volume in the Elgar International Law Series. Speakers include: Diane Marie Amann (LSE), Olympia Bekou (Univ. of Nottingham), William A. Schabas (Middlesex Univ.), and Marco Roscini (Univ. of Westminster). Details are here.

Hammoudi: Manufacturing Sovereignty: International Law, Labour Struggle, and the Making of Iraq

Ali Hammoudi (Univ. of Windsor - Law) has published Manufacturing Sovereignty: International Law, Labour Struggle, and the Making of Iraq (Hart Publishing 2026). Here's the abstract:

This book delves into the legal and labour history of the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq to explore the role international law and its institutions played in Iraq's state formation.

Focusing on a turbulent period in global and Middle East history, it shows how the case of Iraq became a laboratory for experimentation with the concept of sovereignty by the Permanent Mandates Commission of the League of Nations in Geneva. This resulted in the development of a doctrine of 'semiperipheral sovereignty' to justify Iraq's independence from the Mandate process. This novel doctrine and its operation within the provisions of the 1930 Anglo-Iraq Treaty ensured the maintenance of British dominance over Iraq, especially to safeguard the extraction and transportation of its valuable oil resources to Western markets.

The book traces how this legal doctrine impacted the everyday lives of working class Iraqis. It explores the governance of the extraterritorial spaces of capitalist accumulation and labour exploitation, in particular the Iraq Petroleum Company oil fields, the Iraq State Railways and the Port of Basra. It goes on to detail how the oil, railway and port workers led by the Iraqi Communist Party effectively organised themselves into a nationalist revolutionary labour movement. They waged an anti-colonial struggle against these imperial legal structures to improve their lot, leading up to the 1948 Wathba, the 1953 Intifada, and ultimately the July Revolution of 1958, which upended the British-sponsored monarchy.

Spanning various international archives and Arabic primary source materials, this book offers an example of a social, legal and labour history written from below, centering ordinary working peoples' agency in the historiography of international law. Drawing on Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL) and Marxist methodologies, it emphasises the significance of the semi-periphery in the making of the international legal order.

Kraska & Lagdami: Marine Technology, Ocean Development and the Law of the Sea

James Kraska (U.S. Naval War College) & Khanssa Lagdami (World Maritime Univ.) have published Marine Technology, Ocean Development and the Law of the Sea (Cambridge Univ. Press 2026). Here's the abstract:

Emerging technologies such as autonomous vessels, artificial intelligence, and alternative fuels are revolutionizing the way we operate at sea. This volume examines how advancements in information technology and biotechnology are influencing the evolution of ocean law and policy. These technologies, including blockchain, satellite and submarine cable communications, nuclear power at sea, seabed mining, underwater archaeology, marine genetics, and decarbonization, are changing the architecture of ocean governance. This volume explores both the opportunities and challenges these advancements pose to the law of the sea, which is evolving to adapt to ever accelerating rates of global change. Looking forward, the book considers the role of the law of the sea in the future of ocean governance. This title is available as open access on Cambridge Core.

Chat with the Author: Yilin Wang on “Locating TWAIL Scholarship in China”

On April 21, 2026, the European Society of International Law's Critical Approaches to International Law Interest Group will host a "Chat with the Author" with Yilin Wang (Univ. of Macau - Law) speaking about “Locating TWAIL Scholarship in China.” Details are here.

New Issue: Polish Review of International and European Law

The latest issue of the Polish Review of International and European Law (Vol. 14, no. 2, 2025) is out. Contents include:

• Articles
• Marija Dordeska, What Principles in What Proceedings? The Use and Development of General Principles of Law in the ICJ’s Advisory vs Contentious Jurisprudence
• Szymon Zaręba, The Evolution of the International Court of Justice’s Approach to the Right of Actio Popularis Before It, Based on Recent Case Law
• Aghil Mohammadi & Aref Laridashti, The Forcible Transfer of Ukrainian Children as Genocide: An Assessment of Russia's Actions in Light of the International Documents and Judicial Rulings
• Tomasz Mirosławski, Workplace Monitoring in Europe: A Review of Regulatory Perspectives and Developments
• Case Comments
• Tomasz Kamiński & Paweł Natorski, Comments on the ICJ Judgment on Delimitation of the Continental Shelf between Nicaragua and Colombia beyond 200 Nautical Miles from the Nicaraguan Coast (Nicaragua v. Colombia) (13 July 2023)
• Julia Kapelańska-Pręgowska, Comments on the ECtHR Judgment in Verein KlimaSeniorinnen Schweiz and Others v. Switzerland (9 April 2024)

New Issue: Nordic Journal of International Law

The latest issue of the Nordic Journal of International Law (Vol. 94, no. 4, 2025) is out. Contents include:

• Special Issue: International Organizations and the Private Sector
• Jan Klabbers, Legal Aspects of the Relations Between International Organizations and the Private Sector: Editor’s Introduction
• Lorenzo Gasbarri, The Participation of Private Stakeholders in International Tourism Governance
• Scarlett McArdle, Private Sector Engagement in Global Health: WHO and WHO-Foundation
• Sebastián Machado, Divide and Conquer: The Fragmentation of the European Space Institutionalism
• Paulina Rundel, The ILC’s Work on Dispute Settlement Between International Organizations and Private Parties
• Bianca Isabella Ortiz, Dispute Settlement Between International Organizations and Private Parties Through International Arbitration: Observations from the Practice of the United Nations System
• Martina Coxová, Beyond Staff: Expanding the Jurisdiction of International Administrative Tribunals for Enhanced Accountability and Due Process

ESIL IG Online Workshops in Connection with Research Forum 2026

In the context of the ESIL Research Forum 2026 in Kraków, ESIL Interest Groups are hosting online workshops in the days preceding the Forum:

• IG on International Economic Law - April 7 - Sustainability of Global Economic Governance
• IG on History of International Law - April 7 - What could be the future of a sustainable international law? Lessons from history
• IG on International Legal Theory and Philosophy - April 8 - Normalizing Sustainability. Theoretical Perspectives on Stability and Change in International Law
• IG on International Business and Human Rights - April 7 - Sustainability, Business & Human Rights: Evolutions from Soft to Hard Law
• IG on the Law of the Sea - April 8 - To be or not to be: The sustainability of international law of the sea and the international law of sustainable seas

Call for Papers: ESIL Interest Groups Workshops Preceding 2026 ESIL Conference (Updated)

In the context of the 2026 ESIL Annual Conference in Málaga, ESIL Interest Groups are inviting submissions for their pre-conference workshops. Here are the calls that are currently open:

• IG on Critical Approaches to International Law: Conflict and International Law: Beyond the Promise of Peace (deadline: 1 April 2026)
• IG on International Criminal Justice: Is the International Criminal Court in Conflict? (deadline: 7 April 2026)
• IG on International Economic Law: International Economic Law and Conflict (deadline: 10 April 2026)
• IG on International Organisations: Conflict Unbound? Revisiting International Organizations and Contestation (deadline: 10 April 2026)
• IG on Migration and Refugee Law: Asylum in Times of Conflict: Unsettling the Boundaries of Refugee Protection (deadline: 10 April 2026)
• IG on International Law of Culture: The International Law of Culture at a Crossroads: Past Developments and Future Directions (deadline: 10 April 2026)
• IG on Social Sciences and International Law: Contestation in international law (deadline: 10 April 2026)
• IG on International Business and Human Rights: Business and Human Rights at the Fault Lines of Armed Conflicts (deadline: 12 April 2026)
• IG on the EU as a Global Actor: The EU as Global Peace Actor: Rhetoric or Reality? (deadline: 15 April 2026)
• IG on International Legal Theory and Philoosophy: A World without Rules? The Responsibility of International Law Scholars in Times of Fatigue (deadline: 15 April 2026)
• IG on Feminism and International Law: Gender and Conflict in International Law (deadline: 20 April 2026)
• IG on International Human Rights Law: The role of conflict in the making and shaping of International Human Rights Law (deadline: 20 April 2026)
• IG on International Health Law: Health Protection and Armed Conflicts in a Fragmented Legal Landscape: Emergencies, Security, and Governance (deadline: 24 April 2026)
• IG on Energy and International Law: From Interdependence to Weaponisation: Energy Security and International Law (deadline: 24 April 2026)
• IG on Peace and Security: Peace and Security beyond the UN Charter: Appraising Alternative Models of Global Security Governance and Law (deadline: 28 April 2026)

Wade: Preferential Rules of Origin in the Law of the WTO and PTAs: The Challenge of 3D Printing

Diana E. Wade has published Preferential Rules of Origin in the Law of the WTO and PTAs: The Challenge of 3D Printing (Brill | Nijhoff 2025). Here's the abstract:

Where does a 3D printed good come from? This book examines preferential rules of origin within the context of advanced manufacturing, focusing on 3D printing. From a foundation in the legal and technical aspects of rules of origin, it explores why 3D printing implies reconsidering how materials, labour, and technology factor into the determination of the origin of a good and the risks and opportunities this brings to producers and traders. The book suggests revisiting rules of origin in PTAs and encourages the WTO to promote incorporating rules or origin and new production methods into a balanced trade framework that supports producers, traders, and consumers globally.

Carnegie & Clark: Global Governance Under Fire: How International Organizations Resist the Populist Wave

Allison Carnegie (Columbia Univ. - Political Science) & Richard Clark (Univ. of Notre Dame - Political Science) have published Global Governance Under Fire: How International Organizations Resist the Populist Wave (Princeton Univ. Press 2026). Here's the abstract:

Populist leaders around the world increasingly reject international organizations, decrying them as constraints on state power and rallying followers against the “global elite” who run them. These institutions—painstakingly built through decades of negotiation and multilateral cooperation—are often seen as passive bystanders, unable or unwilling to push back. In Global Governance Under Fire, Allison Carnegie and Richard Clark challenge this view, arguing that international organizations are, in fact, strategic agents with the tools to resist populist pressures. Offering fresh theoretical insights and original empirical analysis, they investigate how these institutions fight back and how their defensive strategies are reshaping global governance.

Using a multimethod approach that draws on novel data and qualitative evidence, Carnegie and Clark identify four key strategies that international organizations employ both to appease and to sideline populists and their constituents. They find that while these strategies help fortify global governance against populist opposition, they may also produce unintended consequences, potentially eroding institutional legitimacy and fueling further resistance. A timely and compelling account, the book provides a crucial roadmap for understanding—and safeguarding—the global order.

Lecture: Lang on "Fantasies of No Value"

On May 7, 2026, Andrew Lang (Univ. of Edinburgh) will deliver the London Review of International Law Annual Lecture at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law. The topic is: "Fantasies of No Value." Details are here.

Call for Papers: Absolute Rights under the ECHR at State Borders

A call for papers has been issued for a workshop on "Absolute Rights under the ECHR at State Borders," to take place November 9-10, 2026, in Nuremberg. The call is here.

Call for Submissions: Art and Turning Points in Law: A Twentieth-Century Intertwining?

LawArt. Journal of Law, Art and History has issued a call for submissions for the "Itineraries" section of issue 8 (2027). The theme is: "Art and Turning Points in Law: A Twentieth-Century Intertwining?" The call is here.

Conference: Teaching International Human Rights Law - in times of Normative Contestation

On June 8-10, 2026, the University of Innsbruck will host a conference on "Teaching International Human Rights Law - in times of Normative Contestation." Details are here.

Lecture: Schabas on "A refresh of the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice?"

On April 23, 2026, William Schabas (Middlesex Univ.) will deliver the 2026 Theo van Boven Lecture at the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights. The topic is: "A refresh of the Genocide Convention at the International Court of Justice?" Details are here.

Conference: Cambridge International Law Journal 15th Annual Conference

On April 23-24, 2026, the Cambridge International Law Journal will hold its 15th Annual Conference at the University of Cambridge. The theme is: "Reimagining International Law: Critical, Regional, and Trans-Disciplinary Perspectives." Details are here.

Webinar: Movies, TV Series and Teaching International Law

On March 30, 2026, the European Society of International Law will host a webinar on "Movies, TV Series and Teaching International Law." This event, part of the ESIL Teaching Corner Webinar Series, will discuss how films and TV series interact with international law and how they can be used in class for teaching purposes. Details are here.

Call for Contributions: Oxford Reports on International Law (UN Treaty Body Case Law Reporters)

Oxford University Press, together with the editors of the Oxford Reports on International Law: International Human Rights Law – UN Human Rights Bodies module, invites applications for Human Rights case law reporters to contribute to the analysis of decisions by UN Human Rights Treaty Bodies. Reporters contribute to OUP’s leading case law reporting service, receive feedback from senior scholars, and build a publication record in the field. The deadline for applications is April 20, 2026. Further details can be found here.

Call for Panel Proposals: International Law Weekend 2026

The American Branch of the International Law Association has issued a call for panel proposals for International Law Weekend 2026, which will take place in New York City on October 22-24. The theme is "[R]evolution in the International Legal Order." The call is here. The deadline is April 10, 2026.