Global Transformations

Shaping International Law in Global Transformation: Australian Experiences

  • Keynote and workshop round-up

    On Wednesday 26 February we were privileged to have Professor the Honourable Gareth Evans present his keynote address, opening our two day workshop, “Shaping International Law in Times of Global Transformation: Australian Contributions”.

    Professor the Honourable Gareth Evans in conversation with Global Transformations project members Dr Jordana Silverstein and Associate Professor Madelaine Chiam

    Professor Evans spoke to Australia’s willingness to engage seriously with international law, highlighting key developments in Australian history leading up to his own time as Australian Foreign Minister. He spoke to the audience about his conceptualisation of Australia as a “good international citizen”, highlighting its continued value in contemporary times.

    Quote from Professor Evans: “My argument was designed to appeal not just to moralists but hard-headed realists, making the point that behaving, and being seen to behave decently and not just self-interestedly, worked greatly to a country’s advantage reputationally and in other ways when it came to advancing traditional security and economic interests”

    We were very fortunate to have Professor Evans join us the following morning for our Practitioners Panel with Dr Leanne Smith (Chief Executive of Australian Human Rights Commission), Hon Prof Richard Rowe (ANU) and Hon Prof Matthew Neuhaus (ANU). The three panel members illuminated the “behind the scenes” work of influencing international law and the importance of building strong diplomatic relationships.

    After this thought-provoking opening, we enjoyed panel presentations by Professor Alison Duxbury and Associate Professor Narelle Morris on individual Australian contributions to international law, which offered valuable comparisons with Dr Sara Dehm and Adrienne Ringin’s panel on Australia’s relationship with international legal bodies. Our day was rounded out by Associate Professor Stacey Henderson presentation on Australia’s shaping of non-proliferation of chemical and biological weapons.

    We warmly thank all those who attended, presented and chaired sessions at our workshop – we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did! Planning is underway for publication of the workshop proceedings and we will update this blog when details are confirmed.

    Left to right: Professor Jeremy Farrall, Dr Sarah Green, Dr Jordana Silverstein, Professor the Honourable Gareth Evans, Associate Professor Madelaine Chiam, Professor Christopher Michaelsen

  • Keynote registration

    We are delighted to be finalising the program for our upcoming workshop at Western Sydney University, Shaping International Law in Times of Global Transformation: Australian Contributions.

    Highlights include a public keynote address by Professor the Honorable Gareth Evans AC KC, a Practitioner’s Roundtable, and a diverse array of panels covering topics from Australia’s influences on disarmament to individual Australians who influenced international law.

    The registration link for the public keynote event is here: Public Keynote by Professor the Hon Gareth Evans: Australia’s Contributions to Shaping International Law in Global Transformations

    We look forward to seeing you there!

  • Keynote announcement!

    We are delighted to announce that Professor the Hon Gareth Evans AC KC will give the keynote at our upcoming conference on Shaping International Law in Global Transformations.

    The Call for Papers has been extended to 9 December and we look forward to reading your submissions!

  • Call for papers deadline extended!

    The deadline for our Call For Papers for Shaping International Law in Times of Global Transformation: Australian Contributions has been extended to Monday 9 December 2024.

    We look forward to reading your submissions and welcome any questions to globaltransformations@latrobe.edu.au

  • Welcome to Global Transformations!

    Welcome to the website for Shaping International Law in Global Transformation: Australian Contributions, an Australian Research Council Discovery Project. The project investigates how Australia has shaped international law in four key periods of global transformation: post-World War I, post-World War II, post- Cold War and post-September 11, 2001.

    The need for such a study is pressing, as the Australian Government seeks to influence the development of international law in an era of global transformation, to adapt to managing future transformations, and to reinforce Australia’s security and prosperity.

    We will be posting updates throughout the project, but for now we encourage you to check out our Call For Papers for our upcoming conference in February 2025.