The CCIL Conference Organizing Committee welcomes proposals in relation to specific fields of international law, including (but not limited to) health, human rights, trade and investment, environment, climate justice, sustainable development, Indigenous rights, security, humanitarian law, criminal justice, accountability and dispute resolution.
​
NOTE: All presentations must be given in person. We are unable to accommodate virtual presentations. Please consult the submission form for criteria.
​​
Complete the application by Monday, May 18, 2026, 11:30 PM (ET).
THEME
Bend, Not Break: Resilience and Evolution of International Law
The past decade has witnessed multiple attempts to undermine or revisit international law’s foundational norms, structures, and processes. International law is increasingly called into question, leaving actors within the international legal order, as well as practitioners and scholars, to try to reclaim and restructure the system. The seriousness of the moment we find ourselves in has been precipitated by a series of crises that demand greater international, regional, and bilateral collaboration and cooperation, including the proliferation of armed conflicts, climate emergency, trade wars, cyber-attacks, and AI regulation. Whether this moment is an opportunity, an obituary, or a mixture of both remains to be seen.
​
The theme of this year’s conference is Bend, Not Break: Resilience and Evolution of International Law. It seeks to challenge both the supposed post-mortem of the international legal order since 1945 and the notion that it no longer resonates with certain states and peoples worldwide. The conference will test the extent to which the international legal order can adapt to new challenges without sacrificing its foundations. We will gather subject-matter experts - including practitioners, scholars, diplomats, and government officials - to discuss the significant shifts at play, their impacts, and how those effects might be mitigated, exploited, or resisted. The menu for this year’s conference will undoubtedly include the rules restraining the use of force and conduct during armed conflicts, agreements on climate change management, norms on trade and tariffs, and traditional international alliances and power balances.
​
CCIL is committed to including voices from communities and spaces that are not always heard, as well as to facilitating participation in both of Canada’s official languages. Presentations may be delivered in English or in French. Efforts will be made to include racialized and Indigenous voices, as well as early-career researchers, in the conference.​
Conference location
John G Diefenbaker Building
111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5A1
Paid parking available on-site.