Call
for Expression of Interest
ESIL
Interest Group on the History of International Law
Agora
Panel Proposal for the ESIL Annual Conference 2026
Conflict,
Crisis and Continuity – Historical Perspectives
Málaga,
03 to 05 September 2026
Submission
deadline: 19 January 2026
The ESIL Interest Group on the
History of International Law is preparing an Agora panel proposal on ‘Conflict,
Crisis and Continuity – Historical Perspectives’. The outcome of the Agora
proposal is uncertain, but the panel speakers will be invited to present at the
interest group pre-conference workshop, if the conference organizers do not
select the Agora proposal.
Themes
This panel invites contributions that explore the long history of how
international law has been shaped by, responded to, and coexisted with
conflict. Contemporary debates frequently describe international law as being
in crisis, particularly in light of escalating global conflicts and challenges
to normative authority. Yet neither crises nor the tensions between law and
conflict are new. Historically, moments of upheaval—whether triggered by war,
shifting power structures, or ideological extremism—have repeatedly redefined
the international legal order. We seek papers that illuminate how such crises
emerged, how they were experienced, overcome and to what extent they represent
recurring patterns within the history of international law’s engagement with
conflict.
There were seismic conflicts regarding previous orders, such as the
Spanish encounter with the American peoples, the Great Turkish War of the 17th
century, the rise of the Dutch and the British East India Companies, the
earlier Portuguese settlement in Macau from 1557, or the Chinese encounter with
Russia in the 1680s. The late nineteenth century is often portrayed as the “golden age” of
international law, followed by profound disappointment among scholars and
pacifist activists at the outbreak of the First World War. Still, the interwar
period also saw significant normative innovations, including the outlawing of
war in the Briand–Kellogg Pact—an experiment that was the result of states,
scientific cooperation, activism, and broader societal mobilization. How are
the prevention of wars and the condemnation and prevention of war crimes
historically linked? The rise of fascism exposed the sharp limits of the
interwar legal order. Questions concerning the treatment of Nazi crimes and
criminals generated transformative impulses for modern international criminal
law through the work of opponents and those persecuted under National
Socialism.
We welcome papers that assess the resilience of international law across
shifting political conditions. Are there successes in conflict prevention that
have been obscured by history? Are there ideas for conflict avoidance that have
been forgotten today? How did a system grounded largely in customary norms
until well into the twentieth century respond to pressures of war, empire, and
changing power hierarchies? Did the relative informality of customary law
render it more crisis-resistant, or did it merely expose its dependence on
state cooperation?
Contributors may also address the deep entanglements of international
law with capitalism and colonialism, or revisit assumptions about the novelty
of asymmetric conflict in light of recent work by Lauren Benton. The IG
particularly encourages interdisciplinary research engaging with historical
methods, such as the use of archives and other historical sources, to apply. Perspectives
from underrepresented regions and critical scholars are particularly welcomed.
Submission procedure
Members of the HIL IG and other ESIL Members working on related
topics are invited to express their interest in participating by sending to
prior to the deadline the following documents to esilighistory@gmail.com:
-
An Abstract of no more than 400
words
-
Your curriculum vitae
-
A short biography about
yourself, indicating whether you’re an ESIL member and whether you are applying
for the ESIL Early-Career Scholar Prize
Timeline
The deadline for expressing interest in the Agora panel proposal is 19
January 2026. We expect to inform successful applicants before 31
January 2026 whether they will be part of the panel proposal submitted
to the ESIL. However, even if the applicants were not selected for the Agora,
strong applicants will be invited to present at the ESIL pre-conference
workshop.
Successful applicants will compose the panel
for the Agora proposal to the ESIL Conference in Malaga. If ESIL and the
conference committee do not select our proposal, strong candidates will be
invited to present at our pre-conference workshop on the same topic instead.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact us: esilighistory@gmail.com
Please note that the Interest Group is prioritizing those who could
present their papers in person. However, the Interest Group is
unable to provide funding for travel and accommodation. Selected speakers will
be expected to bear the costs of their own travel and accommodation. Some ESIL
travel grants and ESIL carers’ grants will be available to offer partial financial
support to speakers who have exhausted other potential funding sources.
Please see the ESIL website for all relevant information about the
conference.
Conveners
Monica
Garcia-Salmones Rovira - Anastasia Hammerschmied – Florenz Volkaert – Sze Hong
Lam (Ocean)
