Climate Change Conference COP29
Accompanying the Climate Change Conference in Baku, COP29, the symposium provides a critical monitoring of this year’s COP and a platform for reflection on the multifaceted challenges that humanity...
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reflectiÖns on Dis:Order in International Law
In these reflectiÖns scholars take Michelle Stagg Kelsall’s “Disordering International Law” published with the European Journal of International Law in 2022 as a starting point to explore the diffe...
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Russia and the Right to Self-Determination in the Post-Soviet Space
In this book review symposium on Johannes Socher’s book ‘Russia and the Right to Self-Determination in the Post-Soviet Space’ (Oxford University Press 2021), scholars trace and discuss different st...
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Positive Obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights: Within and Beyond Boundaries
In this book review symposium on Vladislava Stoyanova’s book ‘Positive Obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights: Within and Beyond Boundaries’ (Oxford University Press 2023), schol...
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Bridging Epistemic Divides in Cultural Heritage Research
This symposium invites readers to think with us and the authors about bridging epistemic divides in heritage policy, both in the theory and practice. Together with our stellar contributors we conti...
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Blögiversary: Celebrating Ten Years of Völkerrechtsblog
Völkerrechtsblog is turning ten years old - and we're here to celebrate, remember, reflect, and look into the future. What has changed? What has been a constant? What's next?
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Women in International Law Vol. 3
The annual ‘Women in International Law’ symposium hosts blog posts, interviews and/or podcasts on topics relating to women’s rights, feminist approaches to international law and the struggles of wo...
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Digital Echoes: Listening to New Normativities in International Law and Technology
The first season of “Digital Echoes” brings together leading scholars in international law, international relations and legal theory to present their work and discuss the implications of an ever-in...
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International Criminal Tribunals and Domestic Accountability
In this book review symposium on Patryk Labuda’s monograph „International Criminal Tribunals and Domestic Accountability - In the Court's Shadow“ (Oxford University Press, 2023), a stellar group of...
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ReflectiÖns on 200 Years of the Monroe Doctrine
What does the Monroe Doctrine – or perhaps better: the multiple Monroe Doctrines since 1823 – actually stand for today? How can we look back on it 200 years after its first appearance? Answers are ...
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The Theory, Practice, and Interpretation of Customary International Law
In this book review symposium on Panos Merkouris’, Jörg Kammerhofer’s and Noora Arajärvi’s edited volume “The Theory, Practice, and Interpretation of Customary International Law” (Cambridge Univers...
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Progress and International Law: A Cursed Relationship?
Given the prevalence and centrality of the notion of progress to the international law discourse and analysis, this symposium and related AjV-DGIR conference aim to unpack the unsettled relationshi...
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Feminist Theory and International Law: Posthuman Perspectives
In this book review symposium on Emily Jones’ monograph “Feminist Theory and International Law Posthuman Perspectives” (Routledge 2023), scholars discuss this exciting contribution to the field of ...
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Women in International Law Vol. 2
The annual ‘Women in International Law’ symposium hosts blog posts, interviews and/or podcasts on topics relating to women’s rights, feminist approaches to international law and the struggles of wo...
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Racial Profiling in Germany
In this symposium, scholars reflect on the European Court of Human Rights’ recent Basu v. Germany decision. They situate the decision within recent conversations surrounding race and racism in Germ...
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The World Bank’s Lawyers
In this book review symposium, scholars discuss Dimitri Van Den Meerssche’s new book The World Bank's Lawyers: The Life of International Law as Institutional Practice (OUP 2022). Enjoy reading!
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Adivasi Struggles in Chhattisgarh
This symposium sheds light on the institutional and state-corporate violence experienced by the Adivasis inhabiting the state of Chhattisgarh, as a demonstrative example of the shrinking space for ...
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The Person Behind the Academic
This symposium seeks to shed light on the persons behind inspiring academic texts, judgements, or lectures. Through a series of interviews, it seeks to highlight the sources of various academics’ i...
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The Past and Future of the International Criminal Court
In cooperation with the University of Vienna and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Fundamental Rights, Völkerrechtsblog is delighted to host a “Symposium on the 20th Anniversary of the Entry into F...
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Framing Business & Human Rights?
With a view to regulating business in the field of human rights, an Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group (OEIGWG) has been negotiating an international binding treaty in business and human ri...
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Comparative Climate Litigation in North-South Perspective
In the light of the ongoing climate crisis, the articles gathered in this symposium discuss and compare current developments, specific tools, and constraints of climate litigation with a particular...
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Women in International Law Vol. 1
The annual ‘Women in International Law’ symposium hosts blog posts, interviews and/or podcasts on topics relating to women’s rights, feminist approaches to international law and the struggles of fe...
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Russian Invasion of Ukraine in 2022
This symposium gathers all articles published on Völkerrechtsblog on Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine in 2022.
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A Critical Christmas Week
For many of us, the end of December leads into a bit of a winter break. In the Northern Hemisphere, it is winter solstice on 21 December - the days will be getting lighter and longer again (good ne...
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Law Beyond the State
In this book review symposium, scholars from the fields of law and philosophy discuss Carmen E. Pavel's new book Law Beyond the State: Dynamic Coordination, State Consent, and Binding International...
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International Law and the Political
What is 'political' about international law? This interview series features younger as well as established scholars, focusing on the discussion of new publications on the theory and history of inte...
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Who Speaks International Law?
Völkerrechtsblog is happy to host this symposium in preparation of the AjV-DGIR conference on ‘Jurisdiction – Who Speaks International Law?’, to be held physically in Bonn and online via zoom. The ...
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To the Uttermost Parts of the Earth
Völkerrechtsblog is happy to host this symposium on Martti Koskenniemi’s new and much-anticipated book To the Uttermost Parts of the Earth. Legal Imagination and International Power 1300–1870.
I...
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The Concrete Utopia of Human Rights
Völkerrechtsblog hosts a symposium on Wolfgang Kaleck’s newly published book Die konkrete Utopie der Menschenrechte. The book discusses the history and present of the legal struggle for human right...
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Defining Ecocide
The proposed definition of a novel international crime of ecocide - unveiled on 22 June by the StopEcocide initiative - has been discussed widely across the international law blogosphere and beyond...
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Contingency in International Law
Could international law have turned out differently? What were contingent crossings at which international law could have taken different avenues? And why might it be worth thinking counter-factual...
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Rewarding in International Law
This Symposiums aims to engage with the work of Anne van Aaken (University of Hamburg) and Betül Simsek (University of Hamburg) in their recently published article ‘Rewarding in International Law’....
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The Justification of War and International Order
‘The history of war is also a history of its justification’ (p. 3) – this is the momentous starting point of the volume on The Justification of War and International Order. From Past to Present, ed...
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Dialing Into Jessup
The 2021 Jessup season is in full swing with national competitions being carried out these weeks and the International Rounds just around the corner. This year differs significantly from past compe...
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Inter-State Cases under the ECHR
The aim of this Symposium is to reflect on the ongoing debate on inter-State cases before the European Court of Human Rights and to constructively engage with the Council of Europe’s current workin...
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Covid-19 and “New” Human Rights
In cooperation with the Global Pandemic Network, this Symposium delves into the multi-faceted relationship of the current COVID-19 pandemic with so-called “new” human rights. Human rights both dema...
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70 Years of UNHCR and Refugee Convention
Für das globale Flüchtlingsregime stellte 1951 ein wegweisendes Jahr dar. UNHCR nahm die Arbeit im Januar 1951 auf und das Abkommen über die Rechtsstellung der Flüchtlinge wurde im Juli desselben J...
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Investment Law and Human Rights
In a collaborative effort with the Leiden Journal of International Law (LJIL) this symposium discusses two recent LJIL articles dealing with the relationship between “International Investment Law a...
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The role of the ILC
The symposium’s aim is to engage with the questions raised by Danae Azaria’s recently published article on the ILC as an interpreter of international law. In her article, Azaria analyzes four recen...
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Völkerrechtslunch
Beim „Völkerrechtslunch“ handelt sich um ein Gemeinschaftsprojekt des Völkerrechtsblogs, des Leibniz-Institutes für Medienforschung / Hans-Bredow-Institut, des Max-Planck-Institutes für ausländisch...
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The Battle for International Law
This Book Symposium discusses "The Battle for International Law - South-North Perspectives on the Decolonization Era" by Jochen von Bernstorff and Philipp Dann.
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Empty Chairs
The International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICPPED), is the first legally binding instrument dealing specifically with enforced disappearances. Its u...
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Crimes Against Humanity
This symposium discusses Kerstin von Lingen’s award-winning book Crimes Against Humanity. Eine Ideengeschichte der Zivilisierung von Kriegsgewalt 1864–1945. The book looks at the intellectual histo...
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Indigenous Rights and Biodiversity
This symposium discusses Federica Cittadino’s book Incorporating Indigenous Rights in the International Regime on Biodiversity Protection. Access, Benefit-sharing and Conservation in Indigenous Lan...
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The Corporation, Law and Capitalism
Grietje Baars’ recently published book The Corporation, Law and Capitalism is a powerful intervention on multiple accounts. Baars’ study spearheads and complements a newly revived Marxist legal tra...
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International Law in Pandemic Times
The current COVID-19 pandemic is a health crisis of global dimension. With numerous countries imposing shut-downs, closing their borders and limiting international trade and cooperation, the crisis...
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Climate Justice
We live in an age of catastrophe. This is not alarmism. Rather, denying this would mean disregarding all scientific evidence we have. At the beginning of this new decade, Australia is literally on ...
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Young Approaches to International Law
Announcing a “Youthquake”, Time Magazine rang the bell of change, declaring that a new generation is on its way to power. International legal scholarship, however, has not yet recognised this dynam...
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Feminist Engagement with International Law
“Feminist analysis is like friendship: an ongoing process of deepening complexity, interactive, contradictory, insightful, emotional, enlightening, challenging, conflicting”, Nancy O. Dowd wrote in...
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Internet Governance Forum
That the Internet is more than a global infrastructure is old news. But the changes and challenges to our global understanding of territorial boarders, governance, sovereignty and communication are...
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Colonial Repercussions in Germany and Namibia
The colonial past and its complex repercussions are finally present in post-colonial European public discourse. So far, however, this has had little to no effect on formerly colonized societies. On...
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Plurality of Law and Development
The plurality of law and development is marked by a variety of national traditions, intellectual approaches and historical trajectories. A recent attempt to institutionalize this plurality across c...
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Irresolvable Norm Conflicts
The Völkerrechtsblog is pleased to host an online symposium of Valentin Jeutner's recently published book: Irresolvable Norm Conflicts in International Law: The Concept of a Legal Dilemma (OUP 2017...
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Cynical International Law
Cynicism and its relation to international law is a question that has so far not comprehensively been studied. Cynicism has been used in a cursory fashion by international lawyers, e.g. when denoun...
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ABC of OPT
Israel’s occupation or “control” (as the book prefers to call it) of Palestinian Territory that began with six days in June 1967, presents a depressing and tragic political and moral conundrum. For...
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GDPR as Global Standard Setter
The GDPR is not the only international legal instrument on data protection but it certainly is one of the most influential ones: Since it has become binding in May 2018 it has influenced several da...
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Customary International Law
Does customary international law really matter in protecting human rights, and if so how? This was the theme of a panel at International Law Weekend in New York on October 20, 2018. International L...
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Semi-Colonialism
The Symposium's contributions explore questions on the impact of Semi-Colonialism.
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South and East Asian Perspectives on International Law
Can the “Rise of the East” thus be seen as an opportunity that may contribute to a democratization of international law, or are we just entering a phase of different hegemonic power relations, this...
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Cultural Heritage in a Post-Colonial World
Cultural and anthropological objects from colonized or de-facto colonized territories have arrived in Europe in great amounts since the 18th century. Many European metropoles established large coll...
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Law and Development
The field of Law and Development studies positions itself at a highly interesting, yet academically challenging juncture: What is the relationship between law and social and economic development? F...
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Business and Human Rights
On June 24, 2016 the United Nations’ Council on Human Rights established an intergovernmental working group on transnational corporations. The working group is tasked with the elaboration of an int...
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Critical Race Perspectives on International Law
“Race is the child of racism, not the father,” writes Ta-Nehisi Coates in “Between the World and Me”. Such understanding of race, not as an empirical category but as a category for analysing power ...
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Russian Perspectives on International Law
We are excited to launch the Symposium “Russian Perspectives on International Law”. It has been in planning for a while, and we were enthusiastic about the response to our call for contributions. T...
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Global South in Comparative Constitutional Law
This week, our partner journal Verfassung und Recht in Übersee (VRÜ) / Law and Politics in Asia, Africa and Latin America celebrates its 50th birthday with an international conference on “The Globa...
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Feminist Critiques of International Courts
We are very glad to host a symposium on feminist critiques of international courts. The symposium starts off with an interview with Nienke Grossman, who has done amazing research about women’s repr...
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Gunneflo Book Symposium
Völkerrechtsblog hosted this online symposium on the recently published book Targeted Killing: A Legal and Political History (CUP 2016) by Markus Gunneflo.
Markus Gunneflo is a postdoctoral rese...
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Nuremberg Trials
The Symposium's contributions discuss Kim Priemel's book "The Betrayal - The Nuremberg Trials and German Divergence".
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Sovereign Debt
The Symposium's contributions explore questions on the impact of sovereign debt on international law.
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Digital Surveillance and cyber espionage
The Symposium's contributions explore some questions in the area of digital surveillance and cyber espionage in the context of international law.
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Movement of People
The Symposium's contributions explore questions on the impact of the movement of people on international law.
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Land Governance
Our symposium on “Land governance” accompanies an international conference at the Law and Society Institute of Humboldt University Berlin. Lawyers and political scientists from Germany, India and B...
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Strenghtening the Legal Framework of the OSCE
The deployment of the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) in the wake of the Ukraine crisis illustrated once more the difficulties related to the legal status of the Organization for Security and...
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Alternative Dispute Resolution
Alternative dispute resolution is no longer relegated to the back of the (international) dispute settlement, but plays an increasingly active and important role – with all its advantages and drawba...
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Mulitregionals and the Others
This weekend, public and international lawyers gather at Humboldt University in Berlin for the third conference of the International Society of Public Law, entitled "Borders, Otherness, and Public ...
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International Health Governance
The recent Ebola crisis that shook West Arica, exceeded any previous Ebola epidemic and later was declared a pandemic by the WHO not only stretched local health care systems, but also revealed deep...
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Ranganathan Book Symposium
For the next few days the Völkerrechtsblog is pleased to host an online symposium of Surabhi Ranganthan’s recently published book “Strategically Created Treaty Conflicts and the Politics of Interna...
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Lehre des internationalen Rechts
„Die Lehre des internationalen Rechts – zeitgemäß?!“ lautete der Titel einer Tagung der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Internationales Recht, welche am 16. März 2016 in Köln stattfand. Wie kann eine ze...
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Debating “Beyond Human Rights”
With the first symposium after our relaunch, Völkerrechtsblog emphasizes its role as a forum for transnational legal debate - a debate that transcends jurisdictions and that connects scholars from ...
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Möllers-Buchforum
Christoph Möllers’ im September bei Suhrkamp erschienenes “Die Möglichkeit der Normen. Über eine Praxis jenseits von Moralität und Kausalität” ist ein Buch, das nicht nur viel Interesse geweckt hat...
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Labour Standards in a Globalised Economy
The Symposium's contributions explore questions on labour standards in a globalised economy.
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Prior Consultation in Latin America
The contributions of this Symposium combine legal analysis of relevant international and regional indigenous peoples’ rights standards and ethnographic research. Theoretical considerations of indig...
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The Promises of International Law and Society
This week, the LSI will become the gathering ground for one of the largest meetings of socio-legal researchers on the continent to date: More than 300 legal sociologists, anthropologists, ethnologi...
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Klima- und umweltbedingte Flucht
Stehen Klima- und Umweltveränderungen mit Zwangsmigration im Zusammenhang? Können diese Veränderungen die Flucht und Vertreibung von Menschen verursachen und wenn ja, wieso? Wie werden diese Mensch...
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Rule of Law Goes Global
This global approach to rule of law is at the heart of this week’s online symposium and conference “Rule of law goes global”. The conference is organized by our cooperation partner, the journal “La...
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Trademocracy
Heute beginnt in New York die neunte Verhandlungsrunde über „TTIP“, das Freihandels- und Investitionsabkommen zwischen den USA und der EU. Am Wochenende gingen wieder tausende TTIP-Gegner auf die ...
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Allegra – Transitional Justice
Transitional Justice is an important emerging theme in legal anthropology. Völkerrechtsblog will explore this theme through a collaboration with the blog ‘Allegra Lab: Anthropology, Law, Art & Worl...
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Verfassungs- und Völkerrecht im Spannungsverhältnis
Im anstehenden Symposium wollen wir einerseits die Konstellationen in verschiedenen Ländern genauer betrachten, in denen Spannungen zwischen Verfassungs- und Völkerrecht auftreten. Es soll zunächst...
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Histories of International Law
The Symposium's contributions explore questions on histories of international law.
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Future of International Law
This Symposium's contributions explore some questions towards the future of international law.
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