Call for Papers: International Law as a Strategic Weapon in Current Conflicts, International Seminar on Lawfare (Valencia, 28 May 2027)

The University of Valencia and Pablo de Olavide University (Seville) are organising the International Seminar International Law as a Strategic Weapon in Current Conflicts, to be held in person at the University of Valencia on 28 May 2027. It sits within the research projects "International Lawfare: The Use of International Law as a Strategic Weapon (LAWFINT)" (PID2024-1607180B-IOO, funded by MICIU/AEI and ERDF/EU) and "Strategies for the Security and Cooperation of the European Union in a Context of Global Instability" (CIAICO/2024/145, funded by the Valencian Government).

The Seminar examines the growing use of international law as a strategic instrument in contemporary international relations, the phenomenon known as Lawfare: from legitimate use of legal and judicial instruments to address violations, to the abusive interpretation or use of rules, procedures and institutions to achieve political, military or strategic objectives.

• Lawfare and International Courts: strategic resort to international courts and dispute settlement, claims as political or legal pressure, reputational effects of proceedings, litigation to shape legal narratives, and the line between legitimate use of international justice and Lawfare; good faith, international responsibility and interpretation of rules.
• Lawfare and Armed Conflicts: strategic use of rules on the use of force, self-defence, occupation, international responsibility, international humanitarian law and protection of civilians; manipulation of rules applicable to armed conflict; law used to undermine an adversary's legitimacy.
• Economic Lawfare: economic sanctions, restrictive measures, extraterritorial jurisdiction, trade, investment, State assets and financial measures as instruments of pressure, and their legal limits and compatibility with international obligations.
• European Union and Lawfare: EU external action, sanctions, rule of law, fundamental rights, the relationship between EU law and international law, and EU resilience tools against hybrid threats (the 2022 Strategic Compass identifies Lawfare as a new tactic).

The academic community is invited to submit paper proposals. Proposals may take a strictly legal perspective or incorporate approaches from international relations, political science, security studies or communications; the multidisciplinary approach is an essential feature of the research project. Proposals are accepted in English or Spanish.

Send the following documents in Word format:

• Identification document containing only: proposal title, full name of the proposer, university or affiliated institution, academic or professional position, and email address.
• Anonymous abstract (no proposer name) of 1,000 to 1,200 words, with the proposal title, content and research approach, methodology where relevant, main issues to be analysed, and 3 to 5 keywords.
• Abbreviated CV of the proposer, maximum 2 pages.

The Scientific Committee will evaluate proposals on relevance to the Seminar's purpose and thematic areas, quality and coherence of the scientific approach, originality, and contribution to the legal and/or multidisciplinary study of international Lawfare. Particular consideration goes to proposals that identify specific legal problems, analyse them critically and formulate possible responses.

Acceptance for oral presentation does not automatically entail acceptance for publication. If a collective volume containing the results of the Seminar is published, full texts will be evaluated under editorial criteria and guidelines to be communicated in due course.

The call states no submission fee. Information on the registration procedure will be published together with the final programme. Selected authors will receive details of the conditions and arrangements for oral presentation. The call does not mention travel funding or accommodation.

Email the three documents to congresolawfarevalencia@gmail.com by 30 October 2026. Receipt of proposals will be confirmed by email.

• Prof. Pilar Pozo Serrano, Professor of Public International Law, University of Valencia
• Prof. Antonio Lazari, Associate Professor of Public International Law, Pablo de Olavide University
• Prof. Gloria Fernández Arribas, Associate Professor of Public International Law, Pablo de Olavide University

Organising Committee: Celia Martínez Castilla (UPO), Paula Martínez Perpiñá (UV), Alejandro Ramos Miralles (UV).