Call for Papers: The Refugee Convention at 75: Perspectives Within and Beyond, June 22, 2026 – June 23, 2026, University of Oslo

Important dates

• Conference dates: 22–23 June, 2026.
• Submission deadline: 15 December, 2025.
• Notification of acceptance: 15 January, 2026.

About the conference

For the past five years, the BEYOND project has explored how the Refugee Convention resonates beyond its signatories, and how non-signatory states engage with and shape the international refugee regime. As the BEYOND project concludes in 2026—coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the Refugee Convention—we are pleased to invite scholars, practitioners, and advocates to a forward-looking conference in Oslo.

Themes

We welcome submissions that address a wide range of topics, including but not limited to:

1. Historical perspectives

• The origins and evolution of the Convention
• Key historical events that shaped refugee law

2. Legal analysis

• Interpretation and application of the Convention’s provisions
• Comparative analyses of national and regional asylum systems in light of the Convention

3. Interdisciplinary and critical approaches

• (Re)imagining the Convention with sociology and anthropology; politics, geopolitics and international relations; culture and literature; economics and environment
• TWAIL, postcolonial and decolonial, feminist, socio-legal approaches to examining the Convention
• Refugee voice and agency in law and policy

4. Current challenges

• The Convention and emerging global refugee policy
• The Convention and its relationship to other bodies of international law
• Commitment and compliance with the Convention’s norms

5. Innovative solutions

• Proposals for reforming refugee protection mechanisms
• Institutional engagement with the Convention- the role of international organizations, NGOs, courts and governments
• Litigating the Convention

6. Methodological reflections

• Reflections on methods in refugee law research
• Reflections on teaching and learning refugee law
• Reflections on how academia, advocacy and practice can learn from each other in the research and pedagogy of refugee law

7. Future directions

• The Convention in the context of contemporary displacement
• Looking ahead: Building a more inclusive and effective legal framework for refugee protection
• International, regional, national and local complementarities in law and governance

Submission guidelines

We invite abstracts of no more than 300 words, along with a brief CV (maximum one page) and a short personal bio including name, affiliation, and contact information. If you would like to propose a panel, please contact us before submitting individual paper proposals.

Submit your proposal by 15 December, 2025. Selected participants will be notified by 15 January, 2026.

For more details, refer here