Theme: Diversity and International Law 

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International Law is a system that governs relations among a heterogenous group of states seeking to coexist and to collectively address thorny challenges. Diversity would seem to be a natural cornerstone, in terms of the individuals involved, the governance approaches taken, and the methodological approaches taken to studying international law. But how diverse is it, in reality?

This year’s conference of the Canadian Council of International Law invites participants to think critically about whether and how International Law is adequately accommodating and promoting diversity. For example:

• Does international law appropriately reflect the variety of states, peoples, and organizations that constitute the international community? 

• Are international forums and institutions adequately diverse or representative? Or might they sometimes be used to restrain or impede diversity? 

• How exactly are international institutions including the different perspectives of actors such as states, IOs, individuals, NGOs, and identity groups (such as women, indigenous peoples, LGBTQ)? 

• What methodologies and techniques might international law use to better reflect legal and cultural diversity?
International law scholars, practitioners and students are invited to discuss these questions at the 48th annual conference of the CCIL through different eyes and from different perspectives.