International Law and the SAARC Region in Times of Crisis

New Delhi, 01 March 2023

Call for Papers

The conference is announced in the midst of international law issues and challenges thrown up by the developments in the SAARC region and beyond. It aims to provide a platform for international lawyers and academics to exchange views on these developments and offer fresh perspectives. We encourage submissions from early-career academics. Abstracts are invited that engage with the conference theme, including but not limited to the following sub-themes/areas/topics:

Access to justice: independence and impartiality, fair trial, particular challenges to the rule of law in the SAARC region

Artificial intelligence, forms, linkages and impact

Boundaries, territorial disputes, cross-border ethnicities, border management

Conflict resolution, challenges to SAARC regionalism

Civil society and SAARC perspectives

Constitutionalism, including balance between the judiciary and other organs of the government

Dispute settlement, provisional measures and interventions before international courts, lessons/implications for South Asian countries

Family and children, inter-SAARC region matters

Food security in the SAARC region, the role of SAARC governments and international institutions

Green energy, energy security and governmental regulations

Intellectual property law, traditional knowledge in the SAARC region, IPR protection and its developmental linkages

Interface between international law and municipal law

International commercial law, international sale contracts, cross-border transport, exchange controls, development and integration of capital markets

International criminal law, genocide, aggression, “ecocide”; investigation, trials and safeguards; responsibility of multinational enterprises

International economic law, economic crisis, right to food, normative fragmentation of mitigation strategies

International environmental law, climate change, poverty and mitigation strategies, including technology transfer and financial assistance, the mandate of multilateral development banks

International human rights law, implementation of economic, social and cultural rights, tribal rights, the rights of minorities and indigenous peoples, right to information, cyberbullying against children, accountability, role of constitutional courts, establishment of a SAARC human rights mechanism

International humanitarian law, armed conflicts, non-state actors, civil liability

International investment law, bilateral investment treaties, host states’ right to regulate, human rights linkages, investor-state dispute settlement

International organizations law, representation in international organizations, interaction between the laws of international organizations and host countries, the impact of COVID-19 on international institutional governance, responsibility and accountability, multinational corporations, including corporate social responsibility, UN Security Council reforms

International refugee law, economic migrants, climate refugees, non-refoulement and security of the state of refuge or residence

International trade law, countervailing, safeguard and tariff measures on products originating from the SAARC region, trade preferences, accession to the WTO, least-developed SAARC countries

Jurisdictional immunities, including those of international organizations, alternative remedies, the role of domestic courts

Law of the sea, sea resource management, disputes concerning limits of the continental shelf in the SAARC region, piracy, responsibility of maritime militia activities, jurisdiction of ITLOS

Natural disasters in the SAARC region, including draught and flood

Recognition of governments in the SAARC region, doctrine and practice

Self-determination, the role of international judiciary

Terrorism, linkages with new and emerging technologies, terror financing; counter-terrorism: international framework, international judicial cooperation

Use of force, perspectives of the future world order and legal discourse Water sharing and water resource management in the SAARC region

Abstract Submission

Interested scholars are invited to submit one abstract of 400–500 words. Full name, email address and affiliation of the applicant must be written at the top of the document containing the abstract. Co-authorship is allowed up to a maximum of two authors for one paper.

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The applicant must also send a one-page curriculum vitae, including a list of most relevant publications.

The subject column of the submission e-mail must be composed as “ILSR2023 Submission – Name”.

The abstract and the curriculum vitae must be emailed at ILSR2023@sau.int

Selection criteria

Relevance to the conference theme

Originality of the paper

Geographical and gender balance of the participants

Important Dates

Submission of abstracts: 12 December 2022

Acceptance of abstracts: 26 December 2022

Submission of full papers/extended abstracts: 15 February 2023

Last date of registration: 24 February 2023

Conference date: 01 March 2023

Registration

Non-SAU PhD scholars: INR500/$10/EUR10

Non-SAU teachers and others: INR1000/$20/EUR20

Registration fee is waived for all SAU faculty and students, paper presenters, virtual participants and SAARC government officials.

Registration & Payment Link

Travel and accommodation

Onsite attendees will be responsible for their any required travel and accommodation.

Venue

The conference will be held at the South Asian University, New Delhi (hybrid).

Convenor

Dr Ravindra Pratap, Senior Associate Professor, Faculty of Legal Studies.

Contact

All communications may be made at ILSR2023@sau.int

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South Asian University (SAU) is a University of the South Asian Association for

Regional Cooperation (SAARC) countries, established by the 2007 SAU Agreement by Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. SAU is located in New Delhi and has a 2008 Headquarters Agreement with the Government of the Republic of India which has effectuated the SAU Agreement by its South Asian University Act, 2008.

http://www.sau.int/

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