2026 ASIL Annual Meeting
Program Ideas Sought
From April 22-25, 2026, the American Society of International Law will convene its 120th Annual Meeting. The ASIL Annual Meeting Committee (chaired by Karima Bennoune, Charles Di Leva, and Caroline Richard) welcomes the submission of session ideas within the theme, "Advancing and Defending The Rule of Law."The call for session ideas has ended. Thank you to all who submitted.
Advancing and Defending The Rule of Law
The rule of law is a foundational concept and a precondition for a just world order. Today, it
faces profound challenges that undermine international norms and standards, and multilateralism
itself. Fundamental tenets of the United Nations Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human
Rights, and other consensus-based instruments, including in trade and environmental law, are
under threat. Core elements of the rule of law – including separation of powers, equality before
the law, accountability, fairness in the application of the law, legal certainty and independent
adjudication – are in jeopardy, even in some democracies, with far-reaching consequences.
The municipal and international manifestations of the rule of law are interdependent. As the
United Nations Secretary General affirmed in 2023: “The rule of law is fundamental to lasting
peace and security. It is the foundation for conflict prevention, peace-making, peacekeeping,
sustaining peace and peacebuilding. It is essential for addressing injustices and inequalities that
fuel conflict and for protecting civilians in crisis and post-conflict situations.”
One of ASIL’s constitutional goals is “to promote the establishment and maintenance of
international relations on the basis of law and justice.” To pursue that goal in such critical times,
the Society and all international lawyers need to consider difficult questions about the
contemporary meaning of the rule of law. Should we alter how we define, implement, or protect
the rule of law? How does resurgent authoritarianism challenge the rule of law? How should
“every individual and every organ of society” defend and advance the rule of law, at home and
abroad? What impacts are foreseen due to the proposed structural and financial changes at the
UN and related international organizations, and cuts in funding for and other obstacles facing
civil society? Should the private sector fill gaps via “corporate social responsibility”? Are we
witnessing an inevitable divide in the rule of law between international and domestic levels?
The 2026 ASIL Annual Meeting, the Society’s 120th such gathering, will convene in uniquely
difficult circumstances, characterized by increasing tension surrounding the rule of law. It will be
a key moment to probe the role of international lawyers, norms and institutions in addressing this
tension, including as it pertains to all of the meeting’s thematic tracks. The program co-chairs
invite submissions from all ASIL stakeholders – including international and domestic lawyers,
policymakers and experts spanning diverse sectors, disciplines, and perspectives on the Annual
Meeting theme.
Sessions that are selected will be assigned to one of these six substantive tracks:
- International Human Rights, Humanitarian Law, and Criminal Justice
- Transnational Litigation, Arbitration, and Dispute Resolution
- International Trade, Investment, and Finance
- International Organizations, Global Governance, Global Health, and Technology
- International Peace and Security, Foreign Relations, and Use of Force
- Environment, Oceans and Seas, Space, and Sustainable Development

The Washington Hilton