New Horizons: The future of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea
To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, The Australian National University (ANU) ANU College of Law Centre for International and Public Law (CIPL) and the Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law (ANZSIL) will convene a conference in Canberra, Australia (and online) on 9 and 10 December 2022, on the topic ‘New Horizons: The future of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea’. To maximise engagement and take advantage of the hybrid format, sessions will be scheduled so as to facilitate participation across multiple time zones.
We invite proposals which re-examine and re-evaluate the Convention in light of new social, political, environmental, strategic and technological challenges, and reflect on how we might re-shape, reinforce or reconsider the LOSC to meet future realities. We encourage consideration of all questions focusing on the future of the law of the sea, including:
• How can Australia and New Zealand shape the future of the law of the sea?
• How can the LOSC stay relevant in the next 40 years?
• What is the future for the LOSC in the Indo-Pacific, Southeast Asia, or Southwest Pacific?
• What new actors or activities will enter the ocean space and how will this affect the LOSC framework?
• How can we incorporate critical approaches to enhance outcomes in the law of the sea?
• How can we bridge the gaps between traditional international law and sustainable development to meaningfully achieve global goals in the ocean space?
The conference will be open for attendance by law of the sea scholars and practitioners of all levels and backgrounds, to discuss new ideas, share new perspectives and consider new horizons in the law of the sea.
Early career scholars and practitioners (including doctoral candidates) and mid-career scholars and practitioners (up to 15 years post-PhD), whether in Australia, New Zealand, throughout the Indo-Pacific, and globally, are invited to submit a proposal.
Participants will be expected to provide a draft of their paper prior to the workshop. The workshop organisers plan to publish the papers in a leading journal or other publication.
How to submit a proposal
Proposals should be submitted in a single Word document comprising an abstract of 250-300 words, a biographical note of 100-150 words, and a one page CV. Please send proposals by email to [email protected] by COB Monday 8 August 2022.
Applicants will be advised if their papers have been successful as soon as possible, and by Friday 26 August 2022 at the latest.
Conference preparation
To maximise the benefits of the conference, draft papers (of approximately 1500-2000 words) should be provided to the conference organisers by Thursday 1 December 2022, so that they can be made available to other participants in advance.
Each presenter will be matched with a senior scholar or practitioner, who will provide comments on the draft paper during the workshop.
The organisers plan to publish the papers from the workshop. Further information about publication opportunities will be provided closer to the time.
Further information
For further information, potential participants are welcome to contact the workshop co-convenors.
• Dr Camille Goodman (University of Wollongong): [email protected]
• Associate Professor Joanna Mossop (Victoria University of Wellington): [email protected]
• Professor Donald R. Rothwell FAAL (ANU College of Law): [email protected]
