International Law Association (ILA)

The 82nd Biennial International Law Conference of the International Law Association (ILA) will take place in Vienna, Austria, from 17–21 August 2026.

Since the inaugural conference in Brussels in 1873, the Biennial Conference has served as a central forum for the study, clarification, and progressive development of international law, bringing together scholars, practitioners, judges, diplomats, and policymakers from across the world.

The Conference provides:
-A platform to share perspectives on current challenges in public and private international law;
-Opportunities for ILA Committees and Study Groups to present their work, Reports, and draft Resolutions; and
-Space for collaboration, exchange of experience, and ongoing dialogue among members of the global international law community.

The ILA also operates a Scholarship Fund to support graduate students and early-career professionals in attending the Biennial Conference, reinforcing its commitment to capacity-building and the next generation of international legal leadership.

Further details, including the Conference theme and programme, found here:

ilavienna2026.univie.ac.at/welcome/

#InternationalLaw #ILA #Vienna2026 #LegalCommunity #GlobalGovernance #RuleOfLaw #ILA2026

Information session on the new ILA Committee on Crimes Against Humanity.

Tue 18 August, 1–2 pm SEM 20, 2nd floor, Juridicum, Schottenbastei 10–16, Vienna

With Co-Chairs Prof Leila Nadya Sadat and Prof Olympia Bekou. All #ILA2026 delegates welcome.

@ABILA_official @olympiabekou @ILA_official @UniNottinghamIC @UniofNottingham

The International Law Association @ILA_official is proud to congratulate Professor Damilola S. Olawuyi, SAN, FCIArb @dsolawuyi, Vice Chair of the International Law Association, on presenting the latest thematic report of the UN Working Group on Business and Human Rights @WGBizHRs, of which he is Chair, before the 62nd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council @unhrcpr in Geneva.

The report, ‘Agribusiness, food security and human rights’, is a timely and consequential intervention. It places human rights at the very centre of how the world produces, finances and distributes food, and calls upon agribusinesses, investors, States and other stakeholders across the food supply value chain to confront the growing phenomenon of ‘food fraud’: the economically motivated adulteration of food, misleading labelling, fraudulent packaging, seed theft, the abuse of food assistance programmes, and the illicit trade in food products. Each of these practices, as the Working Group makes clear, carries profound consequences for the enjoyment of fundamental rights.

Anchored in the United Nations @UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (the UNGPs), the report reframes food security not merely as a question of supply, but as a matter of justice, accountability and the rule of law. Its insistence that human rights be placed at the heart of agricultural investment, and that food fraud be addressed as a precondition for ‘food justice’, speaks directly to the values that have animated our Association since 1873, and to the work of its members, some 5,000 strong, across branches on every continent.

The contribution is the more notable for the breadth of leadership Professor Olawuyi brings to it. Beyond his service as Vice Chair of the Association, he is President of its International Law Association-Nigerian Branch @Nigeria_ILA , UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development @UNESCOChairHBKU at @HBKU , Hamad Bin Khalifa University @hbku_cl , and Chair of the United Nations Working Group on Business and Human Rights.

In carrying this work to Geneva, Professor Olawuyi gives voice to a conviction the Association has long held: that the development of international law is measured, ultimately, by the dignity it secures for those it serves.

We commend Professor Olawuyi, his colleagues on the Working Group, and the Secretariat, for a report of genuine international significance.

Full report and press statement:
🔸Full report: lnkd.in/dN7tqkrb
🔸Press statement: lnkd.in/dTpxsu9d
Video
📽️: lnkd.in/dyiD_DDA

#BusinessAndHumanRights #FoodJustice #UNGPs #RuleOfLaw #InternationalLaw #ILA #HRC62

🌍 World Environment Day 2026

On World Environment Day, the International Law Association reaffirms the vital role of international law in addressing environmental challenges and advancing sustainable development for present and future generations.

From climate change and biodiversity conservation to pollution prevention and the sustainable use of natural resources, legal frameworks at the international, regional, and national levels remain essential tools for promoting environmental stewardship, accountability, and cooperation among States and other stakeholders.

As environmental challenges increasingly transcend borders, the need for effective legal solutions, informed dialogue, and international collaboration has never been greater.

The International Law Association remains committed to fostering research, discussion, and the progressive development of international law in support of environmental protection, sustainable development, and the well-being of communities worldwide.

On this World Environment Day, we encourage all members of the international legal community to continue advancing solutions that strengthen both the rule of law and the protection of our shared planet.

🌱 For our environment.
⚖️ Through the rule of law.
🌍 For future generations.

#WorldEnvironmentDay #InternationalLaw #EnvironmentalLaw #ClimateAction #SustainableDevelopment #RuleOfLaw #Biodiversity #ILA @athwal_i #Environment

International Law Association | British Branch Spring Conference 2026

The International Law Association is delighted to announce that the ILA British Branch will host its Spring Conference 2026 on Thursday 5 June 2026 at Clifford Chance, 10 Upper Bank Street, Canary Wharf, London.

This is the first conference the British Branch has convened in three years, and it brings together a distinguished gathering of judges, practitioners and scholars to examine three of the most pressing questions in contemporary international law, alongside a welcome opportunity for members to reconnect.
Proceedings open at 9:30am with introductory remarks from Jeremy Carver CBE, President of the British Branch, followed by a keynote address from Lord Richard Hermer, Attorney General.

The programme then turns to four panels.

‘Third Parties in International Litigation’ considers the marked increase in Article 62 and Article 63 interventions before the International Court of Justice (@ICJ_org @CIJ_ICJ), the growth of erga omnes (partes) litigation, and the effect of Advisory Opinions on States as ‘third’ parties. With Eleni Methymaki (University of Glasgow), Antonia Mulvey (Legal Action Worldwide (LAW)), Amy Sander KC (Essex Court Chambers) and Manuel Casas (Twenty Essex).

‘International Economic Law in the Age of Tariffs’ examines the consequences of tariffs for World Trade Organization law, investment law and the litigation expected to follow. With Professor Lorand Bartels (University of Cambridge; Chair of the Trade and Agriculture Commission), Adrian Roberts (Legal Director for International Trade, UK Department for Business and Trade) and Dr Anna Ventouratou (The University of Sheffield).

‘Reinforcement of the Prohibition of the Use of Force’ asks whether the trend of recent years is reversible. With Professor Marko Milanovic (University of Reading), Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh KC (Matrix Chambers) and Chanaka Wickremasinghe (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office).

A concluding panel draws the day together with Lord David Lloyd-Jones PC FLSW (Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom), Professor Christine Chinkin FBA CMG (The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE); Chair of the International Law Association) Sally Langrish (Legal Adviser to the Foreign Office, FCDO) and Vaughan Lowe KC (Essex Court Chambers).

Registration is now open: lnkd.in/dxjJtmN2

For enquiries, please contact chief.executive@ila-hq.org

We look forward to welcoming members and friends of the Association in London.

@ATzanakopoulos #InternationalLaw #ILA #PublicInternationalLaw #InternationalEconomicLaw #UseOfForce #ICJ #InternationalLitigation @athwal_i