Events and Announcements: 16 August 2020

Call for Papers

• German Yearbook of International Law: The Editorial Staff of the German Yearbook of International Law (GYIL) is pleased to welcome submissions for volume 63 (2020) of the journal, inviting interested parties to submit contributions for consideration for inclusion in the forthcoming edition. 2020 has proven to be the most consequential year in modern history. Recent global events have highlighted the existence of serious challenges for international law and its institutions. The GYIL wishes to open submissions for articles on all topics of relevance to public international law. In particular, however, we are interested in articles addressing recent international developments such as the impact of Covid-19 on global health and the World Health Organisation, the international dimensions of the Black Lives Matter movement and the fight against racism, the ongoing struggle against climate change, and the implications of political and legal changes in Hong Kong for democracy. Submissions from the entire academic community are welcomed. Articles will be independently peer-reviewed by a board of renowned experts. All work submitted will be scrutinised based on its intellectual quality and its advancement of academic discourse. Submission Guidelines: Papers submitted should be in English, be between 10,000-12,500 words (inclusive of footnotes), and conform with the house style of the GYIL (which is available on our website). Submissions, including a brief abstract, statement of affiliation, and confirmation of exclusive submission, should be sent by 1 October 2020 to the Assistant Editor of the GYIL via e-mail: yearbook[at]wsi[dot]uni-kie[dot]de. More information can be found at our website here or via the website of the Walther Schücking Institute for International Law here.
• Baxter Military Writing Prize: Since 2007, the Lieber Society on the Law of Armed Conflict, an interest group of the American Society of International Law, has annually recognized a paper that significantly enhances the understanding and implementation of the law of war. The Richard R. Baxter Military Prize is awarded for exceptional writing in English by an active member of the regular or reserve armed forces, regardless of nationality. For this competition, the Law of War is that part of international law that regulates the conduct of armed hostilities. Papers may address any aspect of the law of war, including, but not limited to the use of force in international law; the conduct of hostilities during international and non-international armed conflicts; protected persons and protected objects; the law of weapons; rules of engagement; treatment of detainees, to include interrogation procedures; and occupation law. Papers addressing practical problems confronting members of armed forces are preferred. Papers for the 2021 competition must be received no later than 9 January 2021. Submissions should be sent to the Baxter Military Prize Coordinator, Dr. Christopher E. Bailey, at christopherbailey286[at]yahoo[dot]com. The subject line should read “Baxter Prize Submission.” The winner and any persons receiving Certificates of Merit will be announced at the Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law in Washington, DC, March 24-27, 2021. For information about the prize, go here.
• Back to Beginnings: Revisiting the Preambles of European Treaties: The 4th annual Young European Law Scholars Conference (YELS) will be held on Thursday 20 and Friday 21 May, 2021, at the University of Zurich. The conference is organised in cooperation with the University of Zurich and the Liechtenstein Institute, and sponsored by the European Society of International Law. We invite young European law scholars (i.e. scholars who have not yet secured a full professorship) to contribute to an academic debate on the topic ‘Back to Beginnings: Revisiting the Preambles of European Treaties’. All scholars whose papers have been selected will be given the opportunity to present their work, and to receive feedback from a distinguished senior European law scholar. Topic: In recent years, discussions about the crises in, and the future of, Europe have been at the centre of European legal studies. Instead of revisiting these well-researched topics, it seems appropriate to take a step back and focus on the beginnings of European treaties — namely on their preambles. Preambles are usually highly indeterminate, refer to a range of values and ideals, and do not establish concrete rights and obligations. Nevertheless, according to Article 31(2) of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties, the preamble forms an integral part of the treaty and must be used in the interpretation of its provisions. The recitals of the preamble reveal both the telos of the treaty and the historical motives of the contracting parties. They set out intentions which have led the parties to conclude the respective treaty, and they provide information on the context out of which the treaty arose. In short, the preamble at the beginning of a treaty defines its purpose and must therefore be given due consideration in legal practice and legal scholarship. In light of the above, we invite young European law scholars to revisit the preambles of European treaties and address a number of potential questions listed on the call for papers. We invite young European law scholars to submit (1) an anonymised abstract (max. 600 words) and (2) a short CV by 15 October 2020 to yels2021[at]rwi[dot]uzh[dot]ch on any aspect of the overall topic. Contributions shall be submitted and presented in English. Applicants will be informed about the outcome of the selection process no later than 15 November 2020. If successfully selected, full papers (8,000-10,000 words, including footnotes) must then be submitted by 31 March 2021 for circulation among commentators and registered conference members. After the conference, we propose to publish a revised version of the papers, adequately taking into account the feedback received from the commentators and participants. The website of the conference with full details is located here.

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