ESIL-supported event | Conference of European Researchers on International Law at a Crossroads, 21-22 May 2026

ESIL-supported event

Conference of European Researchers on International Law at a Crossroads

21–22 May 2026, A Coruña, Spain

The academic event will be coordinated by Gabriela A. Oanta (Full professor of public international law, University of A Coruña, Spain) and Jacobo Ríos Rodríguez (Full professor of public law, University of Perpignan Via Domitia, France). The topics addressed are numerous and varied, which focus either on more general aspects of the current international law (namely, the normative fragmentation of multilateralism, soft law, the effectivity of international law, democracy and the international law, the international justice), and the law of international organizations, with a special focus on the European Union (e.g., the Board of Peace, the limits of the European Union’s external action, the European Union’s trade agreements), or specific branches of international law such as the international law of the sea, international humanitarian law, etc. 14 speakers from 12 Universities across five European countries (France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Spin) with a high expertise in these fields will address the current challenges to which the international law is nowadays facing.

The event will feature speakers and chairs from twelve universities across five European countries — France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, and Spain — offering a broad comparative and interdisciplinary perspective. Sessions will address key issues, including normative fragmentation, multilateralism, democracy and international law, soft law, international criminal justice, humanitarian law, EU external action, international justice, trade agreements, and the role of the European Union in maintaining peace.

Reflecting its European and international character, the conference will be held in four working languages: English, French, Italian, and Spanish.

The meeting is directed by Gabriela A. Oanta and Jacobo Ríos Rodríguez. It will provide a forum for academic exchange, critical reflection, and dialogue on the future of international law at a time of legal, political, and institutional transformation.