Canadian Council on International Law 55th Annual Conference 2026: Bend, Not Break: Resilience and Evolution of International Law [Ottawa; 29-30 October 2026]

The Canadian Council on International Law (CCIL), established in 1972, holds its 55th Annual Conference on 29 and 30 October 2026 at the John G. Diefenbaker Building in Ottawa. The conference gathers practitioners, scholars, diplomats and government officials. Presentations may be delivered in English or in French, and the CCIL states that efforts will be made to include racialized and Indigenous voices as well as early-career researchers. Paid parking is available at the venue.

A separate pre-conference event, The Role of Parliamentarians in International Law, is held on Wednesday 28 October 2026 from 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM at The Metcalfe Hotel, Ottawa. It is not included in conference registration: tickets cost CAD 55 for conference delegates and CAD 75 for others, space is limited and pre-registration is required. Tickets can be bought during conference registration; delegates already registered can add one by writing to ccil-ccdi@intertaskconferences.com.

The conference asks how far the international legal order can adapt to new challenges without sacrificing its foundations. It challenges both the supposed post-mortem of the international legal order since 1945 and the notion that it no longer resonates with certain states and peoples. Practitioners, scholars, diplomats and government officials will discuss the shifts at play, their impacts, and how those effects might be mitigated, exploited or resisted.

Topics the organiser expects to cover include:

• Rules restraining the use of force and conduct during armed conflicts
• Agreements on climate change management
• Norms on trade and tariffs
• Traditional international alliances and power balances

• Olabisi D. Akinkugbe (Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University and the Faculty of Law, University of Ottawa)
• Pierre-Marie Dupuy (Paris Panthéon-Assas University)
• Monica Hakimi (Columbia Law School)
• Valerie Hughes (Former Director, WTO Legal Affairs Division and Appellate Body Secretariat)

Registration is open to delegates, students and retirees. The CCIL page has a dedicated section for international attendees, stating that international delegates hoping to attend are responsible for arranging their own travel to Canada, so participants from India may register.

Important for international attendees: the CCIL does not issue letters of invitation and cannot assist with visa applications. Secure the necessary travel authorisation before registering, as registration fees are non-refundable in the event of visa denial.

• Delegate: Early CAD 475 / Late CAD 525
• Student: CAD 145 (early and late), proof of full-time student status required within 72 hours of registration (recent transcript, proof of enrolment or valid student ID)
• Retiree: CAD 325 (early and late)

The early fee ends on 14 October 2026 at midnight (ET). Groups of 10 or more students from the same law school get a 10% discount on contacting the CCIL Secretariat. Visa, MasterCard and American Express are accepted.

• Conference sessions on Thursday and Friday
• Lunch and refreshment breaks on Thursday and Friday
• Legal Adviser's Reception on Thursday
• CCIL Membership for 2026-2027

Register online through the official CCIL 2026 conference registration page linked on this post by choosing a category (Delegate, Student or Retiree). Every attendee must complete the online registration. Speakers, moderators and sponsors receive separate instructions or codes and should not register until they do.

The organiser states no closing date for regular registration; the deadline shown here is the day before the conference opens. Register early to get the early delegate fee, which ends on 14 October 2026 at midnight (ET).