10th Annual Conference of the
Cambridge International Law Journal
National Sovereignty and International Co-operation:
The Challenges of Navigating Global Crises
Online, 18–20 March 2021
Call for Papers
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the tension between the benefits of internationally co-ordinated responses to global issues, and States’ unwillingness to concede their sovereign right to act – or not act – as they see fit. However, the difficulty posed by conflicting international and domestic concerns is by no means novel, nor limited to public health. The
major issues of global import – from environmental threats to impediments on trade, the forced migration of refugees to nuclear weapons and intervention in armed conflicts – naturally entail interactions between States, as global interconnectedness draws domestic concerns into
regional and international spheres. Yet, the legal mechanisms facilitating co-operation – from international organizations to bilateral agreements – are stymied by States’ reticence to participate. While national sovereignty is paramount, how can true international co-operation be achieved?
The Conference Convenor and Editors of the Cambridge International Law Journal (CILJ) welcome submissions for the 10th Annual Cambridge International Law Conference, which will be hosted online from 18 to 20 March 2021. Submissions may be on any area of public or private international law, and should raise issues relevant to the theme
‘National Sovereignty and International Co-operation: The Challenges of Navigating Global Crises’.
Papers may address, for example:
• The challenges of global governance, across various areas of international law
• How international organisations have dealt with challenges of co-operation in the past,
and what difficulties these organisations face
• The role of private actors in solving global crises
• The normative forces that shape States’ actions in the international sphere
