Theme of the conference
It has been a longstanding belief that armed conflicts in their traditional sense are spectres of the past. However, in February 2022, the unthinkable happened: one state has used its armed force to attack another on the continent of Europe. The war between Russia and Ukraine has reignited old debates on the right to wage war (ius ad bellum) as well as rules to abide by in an armed conflict (ius in bello) along with their ramifications in international criminal law. The conference aims not only to provide a platform for these notions but to also delve deeper into how conflicts can be prevented and resolved, either through diplomatic or judicial methods and how modern peace treaties can be envisioned.
Suggested Topics (non-exhaustive list)
? Legal background and enforcement of ius ad bellum/ius contra bellum
? The validity of self-defence argumentation
? Atrocity prevention in war-time reasoning
? Applicability of humanitarian intervention and the Responsibility to Protect (R2P)
? Current violations of ius in bello
? The `nuclear option? in armed conflicts
? Armed conflicts and refugees
? Peace treaties and their legal nature
? Peacekeeping initiatives
? International crimes and how to decide whether they are committed
? Crime of aggression and possible first cases
? Relevance of the International Criminal Court and its possible deterrent effect
Important Dates
15 July: deadline for abstract submissions
15 August: notification of applicants
23 September: conference
31 December: submission of manuscripts