CFP: Rethinking International Law and Justice

Debates about the values which international actors should follow focus on the rule of law, human rights, democracy and sustainability. Although these governance values were largely formulated in the west and adopted in international instruments, similar values are found in most, possibly all, cultures. While these other values are not hostile to the familiar western formulations, neither is their sense fully captured by those formulations. In debates about security, health, finance and global warming, some feel that there is something missing.

A common complaint is that the framing of those debates and the solutions proposed are not in accord with 'justice' - a broader term that may be seen to encompass the rule of law, human rights, democracy and sustainability but is certainly not exhausted by it. For example, there are concerns that those countries which were the principal causes of global warming are not bearing a commensurate burden in dealing with it. This raises an important concern. Rawls argued that 'justice is the first virtue of institutions' - a point of view that is equally valid for international as national institutions.

Raising the issue of justice hardly resolves the matter: in western philosophy there are several forms of justice (Formal, Procedural, Substantive, Retributive, Restorative) and many theories offering different answers as to what justice requires. Even where formal justice is available, issues of Access to Justice loom large. Going beyond the west to the many long standing Asian, African, American and Indigenous cultures, there are a host of valuable perspectives on the ways that human beings relate to each other in communities in interaction with nature.

Participants

The Conference will be of interest to academics and practitioners interested in international law, environmental law, human rights, ethics, international relations, political theory and other relevant social sciences.

Language

The official languages of the Conference are Turkish and English. Papers can be submitted and presented in either Turkish or English. Simultaneous translation from Turkish to English and English to Turkish will be provided.

Themes

The Committee welcomes papers exploring issues of justice arising in specific areas of international law, as well as underlying theories of justice deriving from political science, international relations and international law.

The Committee welcomes papers on related topics, including but not limited to:

- Issues of justice in:

• International criminal law
• International humanitarian law
• Human rights law
• Environmental law
• Law of the sea
• Refugee law
• International trade law

- The role of non-state actors in promoting international justice

- The international dimension of legal theories of justice, particularly:

• Theories of the history, development and future of international law and institutions
• Third world approaches to international law

- Issues of international justice identified in political theory and international relations theory

Submissions

Those proposing papers for presentation at the Conference should provide the following in the paper abstract submission form:

1. Name of Author(s)
2. Affiliation details (professional status, institutional information)
3. A brief bio (details of educational background, relevant information about your research and experience)
4. Contact Information (address, telephone number, and e-mail address)
5. Equipment required for presentation
6. Title of the paper
7. Keywords (maximum five)
8. An abstract of the proposed paper (between 250-500 words)

For paper abstract submission, please download and fill in the paper abstract submission form on our website and e-mail it to: [email protected]

Deadline for paper abstract submission: 10 June 2012.

The Conference Organising Committee will inform applicants of the outcome of their proposals by 25 June 2012.

Conference Publications

Selected papers from the Conference will be published in an edited collection/s. More details will be announced on the Conference website.

Important Dates

Final date for submission of abstracts: 10 June 2012

Notification of acceptance of abstracts: 25 June 2012

Announcement of draft conference program: 19 August 2012

Announcement of the final program: 7 September 2012

Final date for registration: 14 September 2012

Final date for submission of full papers: 16 September 2012

Conference: 24-25 September 2012

Email: [email protected]