New Beginnings: Foundations for the Future
34th Annual Conference of the
Australian and New Zealand Society of International Law
Western Sydney University, Parramatta, NSW, Australia
Wednesday 30 June – Friday 2 July 2027
Co-hosted by Western Sydney University School of Law
Call for Papers and Panel Proposals and
Alice Edwards Breakthrough Researcher Award
Deadline: Monday, 8 February 2027
International law is often described in the language of crisis, disruption and decline. Yet its history can equally be understood as a history of new beginnings. Many of the institutions, principles and legal frameworks that shape international life today emerged from moments of profound uncertainty. The United Nations, the modern international human rights system, the law of the sea, international criminal justice and countless other legal developments were, in their time, ambitious responses to changing political realities and new global challenges.
This history reminds us that international law has evolved through successive generations of lawyers, diplomats, judges, policymakers and communities who sought not only to preserve what was valuable but also to create new possibilities for cooperation, peace, prosperity and justice. Their contributions shaped an international legal order which in turn has played a central role in building many of the foundations of contemporary international society: from the UN Charter framework and decolonisation to human rights regimes, the governance of global commons, international trade, and institutions designed to advance peace, prosperity and accountability.
The theme of the 34th ANZSIL Annual Conference, New Beginnings: Foundations for the Future, invites participants to reflect on how international law continues to adapt, innovate and renew. We begin from the premise that international law has repeatedly demonstrated a remarkable capacity for evolution. What lessons can be drawn from earlier moments of institutional innovation? Which foundations of the existing order remain essential for addressing contemporary problems? How can established principles, institutions and practices support new responses to emerging challenges? And what can international lawyers learn from past successes and failures in creating institutions, norms and forms of cooperation that were once regarded as aspirational or unattainable?
The Conference encourages reflection on both continuity and change. What new beginnings are emerging in fields such as climate governance, technological regulation, artificial intelligence, international economic law, dispute settlement, human rights, migration, global health, peace and security, ocean governance and environmental protection? How are new actors, perspectives and forms of expertise shaping international law's future development? What contributions can international law make to fostering cooperation and collective action in an increasingly interconnected world? How might international law continue to serve as a framework through which states, institutions and communities address shared challenges and pursue common goals?
At its core, the Conference seeks to explore international law as a continuing project of institution-building, problem-solving and imagination. Rather than viewing the future as a departure from the past, we invite participants to consider how international law's accumulated experience, achievements and traditions can provide the foundations for future progress.
The Conference Organising Committee warmly invites paper submissions and panel proposals from all areas of public and private international law. In keeping with the tradition of ANZSIL conferences, submissions need not be limited to the conference theme and may address any topic within international law. We particularly welcome interdisciplinary perspectives, innovative panel formats, contributions from ANZSIL Interest Groups, and submissions from practitioners and early-career researchers.
We look forward to welcoming participants to the 34th ANZSIL Annual Conference in Western Sydney to explore how the achievements of the past can inspire the next generation of international legal ideas, institutions and possibilities.
Submission of Paper Proposals
Those proposing papers for presentation at the Conference should submit
- An abstract of no more than 250 words; and
- A biographical note of no more than 200 words (for inclusion in the electronic Conference program).
Please submit your panel proposal using the Call for Papers application.
Submission of Panel Proposals
Submissions for well-constructed panels, especially those using innovative formats, relevant to the Conference theme are strongly encouraged. Those proposing panels for presentation at the Conference should submit
- A synopsis of no more than 250 words, explaining the rationale, theme and format of the panel; and
- Three or four paper or speaker proposals, including in each case the information requested above (being a 250-word abstract of the paper, or explanation of what a speaker would contribute to the format proposed, and a 200-word biographical note).
Please submit your panel proposal using the Call for Panels application.
Process and Dates
The ANZSIL Annual Conference 2027 will be held in person at the Parramatta City campus of Western Sydney University, New South Wales, Australia, on Wednesday 30 June – Friday 2 July 2027.
The closing date for proposals is Monday, 8 February 2027, 5PM AEDT. The Organising Committee will endeavour to inform applicants of the outcome of their proposals by mid-March 2027. All presenters will be required to register for the Conference by early May to be included in the final Conference program. Further information about the Conference, including program and registration details, will be made available on the ANZSIL Conference page in due course.
Conference Fee
The conference fee will be confirmed in early 2027. We anticipate charging a registration fee (early bird) of approximately AUD440.00 for ANZSIL members/Speakers.
Alice Edwards Breakthrough Researcher Award 2027
ANZSIL is delighted to announce that it will be awarding the Alice Edwards Breakthrough Researcher Award to assist one or two early career researchers (or PhD students) to present at our 34th Annual Conference.
The purpose of the Award is to encourage and foster the research of the most talented and promising early career researchers (or PhD students) from Australia, Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific Islands whose research in international law is making, or is likely to make, a significant contribution to finding solutions to some of the world’s most pressing global or regional challenges. To that end, one or two awards will be made to assist in enabling early career researchers (or PhD students) to present at the ANZSIL Annual Conference.
Please read the eligibility criteria here before submitting an application.
Please submit your application via this form.
The deadline for applications is Monday, 8 February 2027, 5PM AEDT.
Queries regarding the Conference should be sent to conference@anzsil.org.
ANZSIL Conference Organising Committee 2027
