The General Theme

The end of the Cold War and the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 ushered in a period of optimism about the potential for a more unified international order. At that time, the vision of a universal international legal system, reminiscent of the ideals of the Institut de Droit International’s founders in the 1870s, seemed within reach. Francis Fukuyama’s“end of history,“ suggested equally that liberal democracy and the international legal order had triumphed as the final form of human governance.

Despite conflicts arising worldwide at different levels and with varying backgrounds, the prevailing discourse and perception for years had been that of a stable international system, where conflicts were seen as minor and limited exceptions. Following the events of September 11, 2001, and the subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, revealed that global conflict was far from over. The war on terror and unilateral military interventions highlighted the limits of international law‘s ability to constrain state behavior and maintain global order.

As we move further into the 21st century, new dynamics continue to reshape the international landscape. Emerging powers such as China, India, and Brazil have challenged the dominance of Western states, leading to the formation of new alliances like BRICS and shifts in global power structures. These changes have also
contributed to the fragmentation of international law, where regional norms and institutions often compete with or diverge from traditional global frameworks.

Simultaneously, other non-state actors—such as multinational corporations, particularly in the tech sector (e.g., GAFAM: Google, Amazon, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft)—have emerged as influential players in shaping global norms. These corporations possess economic and political power that rivals that of many states and
have become pivotal in areas like data governance, digital rights, global trade, and platform governance. Their role reaffirms the longstanding question regarding the adequacy of traditional international law doctrines to regulate entities that do not fit neatly into the inherited state-centric model of global governance.

This diffusion of power has significant implications for the United Nations and other multilateral institutions. The UN, which has traditionally served as a forum for international dialogue and norm-building, faces new challenges in maintaining its relevance amidst the rise of regional institutions and non-state actors. The system
of collective decision-making is increasingly strained as geopolitical rivalries, such as those between the United States, China, and Russia, hinder consensus-building.

Moreover, the perspectives of the Global South have gained more prominence, challenging the historically Eurocentric foundations of international law. Countries in Africa, Latin America, and Asia have called for a more inclusive and equitable international legal order that recognizes diverse experiences and traditions. These calls for multiperspectivism have further contributed to the fragmentation of international law, as different regions assert their own legal norms and standards.

All the above leads to pose the following question: are we facing a Post Hegemonic International Law?

If the answer is yes, what imaginaries exist for conceptualising a post-hegemonic international law?

The conference will provide ground for discussion among different disciplines and among legal scholars, political scientists, historians, international relations scholars , practitioners. This discussion will enable a space in which the future of international law and the challenges to it will be thought of.

Finally, by enabling a general discussion with colleagues and senior scholars, the opportunity could be seized to formulate actionable recommendations to strengthen international legal norms and institutions.

Possible Topics to be addressed:

• Challenges brought by war: Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law: Examining the impact of recent conflicts (whether Non-International Armed Conflict or International Armed Conflict) on human rights protections and the role of international law in conflict resolution.
• Environment and Climate Change: Addressing legal responses to global environmental challenges, including climate justice, sustainable development, and transboundary pollution.
• International Trade: Analyzing the legal frameworks governing trade disputes, global economic cooperation, and the impact of trade wars.
• Modern Technologies and International Law: Exploring the legal implications of cyberattacks, digital privacy, data market, and data sovereignty in the context of international law.
• Migration and Refugee Law: Understanding the legal challenges posed by migration crises and the protection of refugees under international law.
• History of International Law: The role of history for understanding the origins and development of a post-hegemonic international law. Equally, looking in the past could lead us to find patterns or contradictions that we find in today’s international law’s reasoning.
• International Criminal Law: In the face of the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, is there hope for prosecuting the most serious crimes? What are the prospects and challenges?
• Violation of international law, international Courts, and the changing nature of international dispute resolution.

Submission of Proposals:

The Association of Young International Law Scholars (Arbeitskreis junger Völkerrechtswissenschaftler*innen e.V. – AjV), the German Society of International Law (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationales Recht – DGIR) and the University of Zurich are pleased to invite the submission of papers for their joint conference contemplating these and other questions and hope to cover a broad range of international law topics.

The call is directed at early career researchers, including, amongst others, advanced students with academic interests, Assistant Professors, PhD Candidates and Postdocs. We especially invite submissions from people who identify themselves as belonging to groups that are underrepresented in academia.

Please submit your proposals of not more than 400 words via the following link by 1 July 2025: https://forms.gle/vSGhVvUZ2NVDDbzv5

Selected candidates will be notified by Mid July 2025. Paper drafts (max. 5000 words, including footnotes) must be submitted by 1 November 2025. We envisage publishing the contributions. We are attempting to acquire funding, but cannot guarantee any financial support for participants at this moment.

For any questions please contact [email protected]

Organizers:

Dr. Tania Atilano (University of Zürich, Switzerland), Dr. Paulette Baeriswyl Banciella (University of Zürich, Switzerland), Dr. Sabrina Ferrazzi (University of Verona, Italy), Dr. Juan-Pablo Perez-Leon Acevedo (University of Oxford, United Kingdom), Camilo Ramírez Gutiérrez (Bosque University, Bogotá, Colombia), Dr. Garima Tiwari (National Law University Delhi, India), Dr. Kebene Wodajo (ETH Zürich, Switzerland), Dr. Felix Würkert (University of Hamburg, Germany)