Call for papers
The 2027 ESIL Research Forum invites early-career scholars to explore how the relationship between regional organisations, including the European Union (EU) and the Council of Europe, and international law is being reshaped in response to broader transformations in the international legal order. While the international legal system has traditionally been understood as state-centred and treaty-based, it is now characterised by a growing density of legal norms, institutions, and actors operating across overlapping regimes. In this evolving context, regional organisations play an increasing role not only in implementing but also in shaping international law through their own legal and institutional frameworks.
Call for papers
The 2027 ESIL Research Forum will take place on 22–23 April 2027 and will be hosted by the Faculty of Law, University of Maribor, Slovenia.
The 2027 Research Forum will address the theme “The European Union, the Council of Europe, and Other Regional Organisations in a Changing World”
The Forum will examine how regional organisations are shaping, interpreting, and responding to transformations in the international legal order. The relationship between international law and regional organisations is being reconfigured by shifts in normative authority, the fragmentation of legal regimes, the rise of regulatory diffusion, and the growing role of institutions such as the European Union, the Council of Europe, MERCOSUR, ASEAN, and the African Union.
Submissions are invited on topics including, but not limited to:
- Trade, environment, and sustainable development
- Human rights, security, and sanctions in the EU and international practice
- Migration and the limits of international law
- Investment protection
- Emerging technologies, digital regulation, and global norm-making
- Regional organisations and the transformation of international law
A maximum of 25–30 papers will be selected. Presenters will benefit from detailed feedback by members of the ESIL Board and invited experts in a focused and intensive academic setting.
Event Information
- Submission deadline: 30 September 2026, 12:00 CET
- Abstract length: maximum 650 words
- Notification of selected applicants: 1 November 2026
- Full draft deadline: 28 February 2027
- Event dates: 22–23 April 2027
- Venue: Faculty of Law, University of Maribor, Slovenia
Participation
The 2027 Research Forum will be held in person in Maribor. Participation requires ESIL membership. There will be no registration fee for the Research Forum. Lunch will be offered on both days, and a dinner for conference participants will be hosted on 22 April 2027.