Call for Papers: "Post the UN Summit of the Future" (18-19 September 2025 in Windhoek, Namibia)
30. May
Call for Applications
‘Post the UN Summit of the Future’:
Towards a (Re-)Consideration of the Right to Self-Determination, Sovereign Equality and Sustainable Development in a Divided and Transforming Global Legal Order
18-19 September 2025 in Windhoek, Namibia
Background
Since the adoption of the UN Charter in 1945, the world and international relations have been in a state of constant flux. Decolonisation, the Cold War and its end, the war on terror, and now the struggle for global action on climate change, the fight against poverty and hunger, and the pursuit of sustainable development have fundamentally changed the face of global realities, but more recently there have also been significant erosions and attacks on multilateralism and the rule of law.
In the wake of these changes and events, it is only logical to pause for a moment and look at the international legal system as a whole to assess its need for adaptation and reorganisation; a step that was taken in 2024 at the UN Summit of the Future. As a result, heads of state and government not only (re-)affirmed their commitment to “international cooperation based on respect for international law.” They also recognized that “the multilateral system and its institutions, with the United Nations and its Charter at the centre, must be strengthened to keep pace with a changing world.” The Pact for the Future, the agreement they signed on this occasion, therefore addresses the major challenges of our time, which the world can only meet through international cooperation (for the sake of present and future generations).
Namibia and Germany, the two co-facilitators and architects of the summit, have played a prominent role in developing this new (or: renewed) vision of a multilateral system that can deliver on its promises, provide solutions to the pressing challenges of today and tomorrow, and be governed by the rule of law. Moreover, the two countries are directly affected by some of the most important issues addressed in the Pact for the Future because of their (shared) history. The year 2025 marks the 80th anniversary of the UN Charter, as well as the 35th anniversary of Namibia's independence and the reunification of Germany. Both are powerful examples of the practical application of international law and, in particular, the right to self-determination. At the same time, Namibia and Germany are currently working on their shared (colonial) past in order to come to terms with it, to base their future relationship on the rule of law and sovereign equality, and to offer redress for past wrongs (see Action 7 of the Pact). Their common history is overshadowed by German colonial atrocities, injustices, and the genocide against the Herero and Nama (1904-08). However, the objectives of the Pact for the Future can only be truly realised if the colonial past (and the historical guilt of the global North), the hitherto unequal and hierarchical (not to say neo-colonial) nature of international law, the restrictions on the full exercise of the right to self-determination and the subordination of the global South are addressed (and redressed), and if the adaptation of international law takes full account of these aspects.
In light of these developments, the School of Law at the University of Namibia (Namibia) and the Joachim Herz Doctoral School of Law at Leuphana University Lüneburg (Germany) call for reflecting on the UN Summit of the Future and its ambitious agenda, using international law as an analytical matrix. The conference will address the 'divisions and transformations' of the contemporary international legal system, with a focus on the right to self-determination, sovereign equality and sustainable development, paying particular attention to the relationship between the global South and North (including colonial legacies and ongoing neocolonial tendencies and divisions). At the same time, recent developments towards the erosion of the multilateral order, the imminent return of great power politics, the replacement of law with power politics and the (threat of the) use of pure force cannot be ignored. The following questions will therefore be central in this context:
What measures need to be taken to implement the Future Pact and its objectives?
Are (further) adjustments, and possibly even a fundamental restructuring and revision of the international legal system necessary?
What consequences and effects can be expected from the Summit and the Pact for the Future, in particular for North-South relations (with regard to past injustices, but especially with regard to current challenges and transformative developments)? This includes (inter alia) the reduction of inequalities, hierarchies, systemic divisions, regionalisation and political groupings within the framework of international law, as well as all other forms of obstacles to the implementation of the principles of sovereign equality, sustainable development and self-determination.
Call for Applications
The conference organisers invite all interested parties to submit proposals for individual or joint papers, as well as panels, on the following topics:
The impact (and shortcomings) of the Summit and the Pact for the Future.
The need to reform and adapt the current international order to fulfil the promises and goals of the Pact for the Future (rule of law, etc.).
The realisation of the right of self-determination and the principle of sovereign equality within a (still hierarchical) international legal order.
Global justice and injustice (e.g. in relation to climate change, access to resources and wealth, financial distribution, etc.).
The impact of colonial histories and inequalities on international relations (bilateral and multilateral) and their legacy in contemporary international law.
The North-South relationship as a determining factor in the (further) development of international law
Transformations as an opportunity for the international community to work closely together (and re-focus on cooperation) or the nail in the coffin of multilateralism?
Realising the right to sustainable development in a truly equitable and just way.
The Summit of the Future in the light of the imminent return of great power politics.
The above list is not exhaustive. Other topics on the future development of international law, particularly with a critical focus and on the relationship between the global North and South, are also very welcome.
Format and Methodology
This two-day workshop will take place from 18-19 September 2025 at the University of Namibia, Windhoek. It is open to scholars with a strong interest in international law, including scholars from other disciplines who wish to contribute multidisciplinary perspectives on the conference theme. Our aim is to publish selected papers either in a peer-reviewed journal or in an edited volume in 2025/26. Participants wishing to have their contributions considered for publication should inform the organisers.
The conference takes a multidisciplinary approach, with a particular focus on the global North and South and their position in the global legal order as sovereign, equal, and subjects of sustainable development, although country-specific considerations and comparative case studies are also welcome. Therefore, proposals for papers and panel discussions need not be limited to legal issues (although this would be ideal) and may include comparative, empirical, anthropological, philosophical, practical and policy-oriented perspectives, albeit from an international paradigm.
Deadlines and Logistics
Please submit your abstracts (up to 300 words) together with a short CV by 30 May 2025 to matthias.packeiser@leuphana.de and kkariseb@unam.na. Final papers of 6,000-8,000 words will be due by 31 August 2025.
Limited funding to cover travel costs is available for scholars from the global South and/or without access to institutional sources of funding.
Transparency Statement
The conference is facilitated by the financial support of the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES). However, the FES has no influence on the content or selection of participants.
The FES is the oldest political foundation in Germany, named in memory of Germany's first democratically elected president. It promotes political and social education and international understanding. For further information: link
Contact Persons
Dr. Kennedy Kariseb
Chair: Local Organising Committee
School of Law
University of Namibia
kkariseb@unam.na
Dr. Matthias Packeiser
Scientific Coordinator, Joachim Herz Doctoral School of Law
Leuphana University Lüneburg
matthias.packeiser@leuphana.de