Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands, has announced a call for abstracts for a workshop titled Community Interests in International Law: Theory, Adjudication and Human Rights. The workshop will take place in person on 11 June 2027 at the university’s Faculty of Law.
The workshop will bring together scholars and practitioners to examine the growing importance of community interests in international law, particularly in relation to international adjudication, fundamental legal obligations and human rights. Early-career researchers, including doctoral candidates, are also encouraged to submit their work.
Workshop on Community Interests in International Law
Community interests have become an important but conceptually unsettled subject in contemporary international law. The concept concerns interests that extend beyond the individual interests of states and relate to the international community as a whole.
The workshop draws attention to developments such as proceedings before the International Court of Justice concerning allegations of genocide, advisory opinions on climate change, the establishment of the Special Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression against Ukraine, and the expansion of jus cogens in the jurisprudence of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.
The organisers aim to encourage critical discussion on the theoretical foundations of community interests and the ways in which international courts and tribunals recognise, interpret and protect them.
Themes and Areas of Research
The workshop invites submissions examining how community interest norms are conceptualised and addressed by international courts and tribunals. Contributions may explore the relationship between serious human rights violations and breaches of norms protecting the interests of the international community.
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Explore Our Services →Potential areas of discussion include the meaning of the international community as a whole, the identification of interests that transcend bilateral relations between states, and the differences between international courts and tribunals in their treatment of community interests.
Researchers may also examine the relationship between community interest norms and international human rights law, including the role of international adjudication in protecting fundamental interests. Submissions offering theoretical, doctrinal or practice-oriented perspectives are welcome, provided they engage with the workshop’s central themes.
Eligibility and Abstract Submission
Scholars and practitioners interested in international law are invited to submit an abstract of up to 500 words, accompanied by a short biography of no more than 150 words. Doctoral candidates and other early-career scholars are expressly encouraged to apply.
Applicants must email their submissions to johanna.ritter@ru.nl and d.e.uribe@rug.nl, using the subject line “CfA Community Interests Workshop.”
The deadline for abstract submissions is 15 January 2027. The organisers aim to notify applicants of the outcome by 15 February 2027.
Presentation Format and Publication Opportunity
Accepted contributors will deliver presentations of approximately 10 to 15 minutes, followed by a moderated question-and-answer discussion. The event is designed as a discussion-oriented workshop, and participants are expected to attend for the full day to engage with the work presented by other contributors.
Selected papers may be considered for publication in a special edition of a peer-reviewed international law journal. Publication is not guaranteed and will depend on the applicable editorial and selection processes.
Date, Venue and Contact Details
The workshop will be held on 11 June 2027 at the Faculty of Law, Radboud University, Montessorilaan 10, 6525 HR Nijmegen, the Netherlands. The event is planned as an in-person workshop.
For further information about the workshop or the submission process, interested applicants may contact Johanna Ritter at johanna.ritter@ru.nl or D. E. Uribe at d.e.uribe@rug.nl.
