How and Why Do Double Standards Matter for International Law?
15 – 17 May 2025
| Organiser | Mode | Deadline |
| Geneva Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies; Harvard Law School Program on International Law in Armed Conflict; Swiss National Science Foundation | Hybrid (Geneva, Switzerland) | 15 October 2024 |
About the Event
Drawing on insights from the Double Standards and International Law workshop held at the Freie Universität Berlin in July 2024, this event is the second step in a larger project about how debates concerning double standards impact international law’s credibility, legitimacy, and efficacy. It will delve deeper into the question of how to conceptualize double standards within the practice and study of international law. This workshop aims to produce an edited volume that will build upon the past contributions from the first Berlin event to address the main themes and conclusions from academic exchanges continued in Geneva.
Important Dates
| Last date for submission of abstracts | 15 October 2024 |
| Last date for submission of full papers | 30 April 2025 |
| Dates of the Workshop | 15 – 17 May 2025 |
Sub-Themes (Suggestive)
- Relationships between double standards and issues of fairness, equality, justice, and the international rule of law.
- Critiques of double standards that focus on hypocrisy, selectivity, and the use of whataboutism and/or tu quoque arguments.
- The extent to which the issue of double standards is of a legal character as opposed to a political, ethical, historical, or sociological problem.
- What are productive methods for studying double standards, and how can the study of double standards concerning international law be enhanced by insights from other fields?
- Whether we can discuss double standards generally within international law, or must we account for the nuances across different legal domains?
- Can double standards ever be seen as serving a useful function in international law? Does international law provide criteria to ascertain whether double standards may be desirable in relation to certain contexts?
- How are arguments concerning double standards formulated and employed in diplomatic discourse that implicates international law?
- Are accusations of double standards an effective argumentative technique? Does the venue in which the arguments are made influence their reception and ultimately efficacy (e.g. a courtroom, the Security Council or General Assembly, an NGO report, a civil society campaign, etc.)? Does international law provide criteria to make these assessments?
How to submit ?
- Please submit an abstract, max. 500 words, and a brief bio to Patryk Labuda (patryk.labuda@graduateinstitute.ch) and David Hughes (davidm.hughes@utoronto.ca) by 15 October 2024.
- Full papers of 5000-7000 words will be due by 30 April 2025.
For further queries email to : patryk.labuda@graduateinstitute.ch or davidm.hughes@utoronto.ca.
Official Brochure
