Call for Papers: 10th Biennial SIEL Global Conference 2027, Christchurch, New Zealand

The Tenth Biennial Global Conference of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL) will take place in Christchurch, New Zealand, from 7 to 9 July 2027. It is hosted by the University of Canterbury, with support from the New Zealand Law Foundation Centre for Law and Emerging Technologies at the University of Otago. The conference will be held in person; a remote option for attendance will be available, but speakers are expected to attend in person.

The theme is "Reimagining International Economic Law: Reasons, Challenges, and Future Directions". Held between WTO Ministerial Conferences MC14 (2026) and MC15 (2028), the conference brings together scholars, practitioners, policymakers, students and other stakeholders to reflect on the future of international economic law. Key themes are expected to include geopolitical shifts, multilateralism and its discontents, trade and investment protection measures, economic security and sanctions, sustainability and climate change, digital transformation, industrial policy, critical supply chains, and food security.

• Use of tariffs and other unilateral tools in shaping/reshaping international economic law
• New trends in international cooperation in trade, investment and other international economic law areas
• Theoretical foundations and functions of international economic institutions, including the WTO
• Relationship between multilateral, plurilateral and bilateral economic arrangements
• Supply chain resilience in strategic and emerging sectors (critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, AI)
• Investment facilitation, trade and inclusiveness, digital economy agreements, data sovereignty, alternative dispute resolution, environmental sustainability, economic security, dual-use technologies, and new developments in international financial systems
• International economic law and new emerging technologies
• International economic law and economic sanctions
• How economic and non-economic goals are reshaping international economic law
• Developments in investment dispute resolution
• Economic law developments and initiatives in the Pacific region, as compared with non-Pacific regions

Proposals for panels, papers and posters are invited in all areas of international economic law (trade, investment, finance, intellectual property, tax, development, technology, etc.). The Conference Organising Committee will give ample opportunity to early-career scholars and practitioners to make their voices heard. In the selection process, preference will be given to SIEL members and to speakers who will attend the conference on-site.

• Paper or poster proposals may not exceed 2,500 characters (approx. 400 words); only one proposal per person is allowed.
• Panel proposals may not exceed 4,000 characters (approx. 700 words); all proposed panellists must have agreed to participate and attend in person.
• Each paper and panel proposal must be accompanied by a set of guiding questions (1-2 for paper proposals, 3-4 for panel proposals), included in the word count.
• Panel organisers are asked to propose panels reflecting diversity in gender, geography, institutional affiliation, professional background and career stage; single-institution or single-region panels are strongly discouraged.
• Proposals must be submitted by 31 July 2026 (midnight GMT) via the dedicated web-form.

Every proposal will be reviewed by at least two members of the Conference Organising Committee and SIEL Executive Council, with papers reviewed on a double-blind and confidential basis. The Committee anticipates announcing the results of this call during the final quarter of 2026. Titles submitted through the application form are treated as provisional and may be refined before the programme is finalised.

SIEL will make available a number of scholarships to contribute to the travel and/or accommodation costs of speakers whose proposal has been accepted. Eligible speakers include, in particular, early-career scholars and practitioners, as well as government officials and academics based in and primarily affiliated with an organisation in a least-developed country. Scholarship applications are made through the same submission web-form; as the number and value of scholarships is limited, the organisers may offer only partial support.

Submit your paper, poster or panel proposal through the official Google web-form by 31 July 2026 (midnight GMT). Enquiries may be sent to SIELGlobalConference@gmail.com.