2-Day International Colloquium On Oceans, Accountability & Global Governance by ICFAI Law School: Aug 8

About IFHE

The ICFAI Foundation for Higher Education, Hyderabad, is a deemed to-be university established under Section 3 of the UGC Act, 1956 and accredited by the UG NAAC with “A++” Grade. IFHE has evolved as a comprehensive student centric learning approach consisting of several stages, designed to add significant value to the learner’s understanding in an integrated manner, covering relevant knowledge, practical skills and positive attitude. IFHE offers Management, Engineering and Law Courses.

IFHE provides world class, innovative, career oriented professional programs through inclusive technology aided pedagogies to equip students with the requisite professional and life skills as well as social sensitivity and high sense of ethics. The university strives to create an intellectually stimulating environment for research, particularly into areas bearing on the socio economic and cultural development of the state and the nation.

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About ICFAI Law School

The ICFAI Law School, IFHE, Hyderabad is a promising destination for the students desirous of making law as their Dream “Career”. The ICFAI Law School (ILS) is a significant segment of the IFHE and recognized by Bar Council of India. The ILS Hyderabad offers BBA.LLB (Hons), BA.LLB (Hons) and B.A.J LLB. (Hons.) integrated five-year courses, One Year LLM in Corporate and Commercial Laws and Tax Laws, Ph.D. fulltime and part time programs, PG Diplomas in IPR, Cyber Laws and Tax Laws and Eight Certificate Courses in Cyber Law, Infrastructure Laws, Law of Financial Services, Immigration Laws.

Solid Waste Management and Law, Goods and Services Tax Laws, International Trade Law and Forensic Science and Law.

The law school envisions to develop a new cadre of professionals who will not only command high level of domain proficiency but also have the ability to integrate activities for developing scientific and technological solutions and work standards.

About Centre for Legal Research and Policy Studies

To be a leading centre for rigorous interdisciplinary legal research and policy analysis in India, shaping legal scholarship and policy discourse through data-driven insights and impactful research, Centre for Legal Research & Policy Studies (CLRPS) was formed in October, 2024 in ICFAI Law School, Hyderabad with a vision to achieve these through promoting the integrated use of doctrinal and empirical research methods, facilitating collaborative research projects integrating law with relevant social sciences and other areas, equipping students and scholars with advanced research skills, including statistical software proficiency, conducting high-quality research that informs policy debates and contributes to effective law-making. The Centre seeks to disseminate research findings effectively to diverse to stake holders and audiences through research projects, publications and conferences.

About the Colloquium

Concept Note & Rationale:

The global ocean, covering over seventy percent of the planet, serves as a vital ecological and economic commons that presents profound governance challenges due to fragmented sovereignty and blurred maritime jurisdictions. While the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS remains the foundational “constitution for the oceans,” its framework faces unprecedented strain from contemporary shifts. Critical developments as climate induced sea level rise redrawing maritime baselines, impending commercial deep-seabed mining, the 2023 Agreement on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ, and emerging international advisory opinions on climate obligations are actively testing the traditional boundaries of state responsibility.

Addressing these challenges requires a deliberately interdisciplinary approach, recognizing that the law of the sea operates at a critical nexus of geopolitics, marine science, the blue economy, maritime security, and global climate justice. For a pivotal maritime nation like India, with extensive stakes in the Indian Ocean Region, these issues represent immediate strategic and environmental imperatives rather than academic abstractions.

Objectives of the Colloquium

• To revisit the foundations and evolution of the law of the sea and assess its capacity to meet contemporary challenges.
• To critically examine accountability and dispute-settlement mechanisms in ocean governance.
• To foster dialogue across law, science, policy, economics and security studies.
• To centre the concerns of small island states, coastal communities and future generations.
• To build a scholarly record through a Scopus-indexed publication while providing a professional platform for emerging researchers to engage with senior experts in ocean governance.

About Call for Papers

The colloquium welcomes original, unpublished research from students, scholars and practitioners across disciplines. The following indicative tracks frame the conversation; interdisciplinary submissions that bridge two or more tracks are especially encouraged.

Selected high-quality papers will be published in a Scopus-Indexed edited bool allowing peer review. Presentation at the colloquium is a prerequisite for publication.

Eligibility

• Faculty, researchers and doctoral scholars
• Students of law, international relations, policy and environmental studies
• Practitioners, diplomats and civil servants
• Maritime, environmental and security professionals

Thematic Tracks & Sub-Themes

I. Foundations & Evolution of the Law of the Sea:

Historical development of UNCLOS; maritime zones and baselines; the regime of the Area and the common heritage principle; customary international law of the sea.

II. Accountability & Environmental Governance:

Marine environmental protection; state responsibility and liability; pollution from vessels and land-based sources; due diligence and the precautionary approach.

III. Deep-Sea Mining & the Blue Economy:

The International Seabed Authority and the Mining Code; benefit-sharing; sustainable use of marine resources; ocean economy, fisheries and energy.

IV. Dispute Settlement Under UNCLOS ITLOS:

jurisprudence; Annex VII arbitration; provisional measures and advisory opinions; the interaction of fora and questions of jurisdiction.

V. Climate Change, Sea-Level Rise & Coastal Rights:

Statehood and maritime entitlements amid rising seas; climate displacement; loss and damage; the marine environment and climate obligations.

VI. Small Island States & Ocean Justice:

Equity and vulnerability; intergenerational and distributive justice; the agency of small island developing states in international law-making.

VII. Maritime Security & the Indian Ocean Region:

Freedom of navigation; piracy and IUU fishing; regional cooperation; the geopolitics of a multipolar maritime order.

VIII. Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ):

The high-seas treaty; marine protected areas; area-based management tools; marine genetic resources and equitable access.

Note: The tracks above are indicative and non-exhaustive. The organising committee welcomes proposals on allied and emerging themes within the broad ambit of ocean governance and the law of the sea.

Guidelines For Paper Submission

Submission Workflow: A three-stage process requiring an initial abstract submission for selection, followed by an oral presentation and discussion of the working paper during the colloquium, and culminating in the submission of the finalized full paper post-event.

• Stage 1 (Abstract Submission): Abstracts must be between 300-500 words, containing 4-6 keywords, and be accompanied by a short author biography.
• Stage 2 (Colloquium Presentation): Authors will present and discuss their active working papers during the event sessions; advance submission of the working paper manuscript is optional.
• Stage 3 (Full Paper Submission): The final, completed full paper must be submitted after the colloquium by the designated deadline, fully incorporating the feedback and suggestions received during the presentation stage.

Full Paper Length: The final manuscript must be between 4,000-8,000 words.

Text Formatting: The main body text must be set in Times New Roman, 12 pt fonts, with 1.5-line spacing and 1-inch margins on all sides.

Footnote Formatting: Citations must strictly adhere to the APA 7th edition style, formatted in Times New Roman, 10 pt fonts, and single-spaced.

Co-Authorship Limit: A maximum of two authors is permitted per research paper.

Originality Mandate: All submissions must be completely original, unpublished, and not currently under evaluation by any other publication or platform.

Plagiarism Threshold: The manuscript must maintain an overall text similarity index below 10%.

AI Content Restriction: A strict 0% AI-generated content rule is enforced; all text must be entirely the authors’ own original work.

Submission Channel: The initial abstract submission must be completed and uploaded exclusively via the provided Google Form link.

Programme Structure

The two days combine authoritative expert lectures, an online panel discussion, and facilitated group deliberation, framed by an inaugural and a valedictory ceremony — a structure designed to move from foundations, to contestation, to collaborative problem-solving

Expert Lectures

• Law of the Sea: Foundations & Evolution – historical evolution and the contemporary challenges confronting the UNCLOS framework.
• Accountability Mechanisms in Ocean Governance – environmental law, deep-sea mining and the blue economy.
• Disputes Under UNCLOS – ITLOS, arbitration and dispute settlement: case studies, jurisprudence and emerging trends.

Panel Discussion (Online) – Contested Waters

• Maritime security, sovereignty and international law in a multipolar world – a moderated exchange among national and international experts, conducted online.
• Sub-topics: Sovereignty disputes & UNCLOS, maritime security architecture, great-power rivalry and ocean governance.

Facilitated Group Discussions

Held as a facilitated table discussion, participants divide into groups to deliberate on selected sub-themes, followed by a presentation of group findings:

• Group A – Climate Change & Coastal Rights: sea-level rise, shifting baselines, displacement and the rights of coastal populations.
• Group B – Small Island States & Ocean Justice: existential risk, equity, loss and damage, and the voice of vulnerable nations.
• Group C – Maritime Security & the Indian Ocean Region: regional architecture, cooperation and the IOR’s strategic future.

Registration Fee

Student & Research Scholar –

Participation with Paper Presentation: Rs. 1,000/-  (USD 30 for international participants)

Participation only Rs. 500/- (USD 20 for international participants)

Academician / Professional –

Participation with Paper Presentation Rs. 1,500/- (USD 40 for international participants)

Participation only Rs. 1,000/- (USD 30 for international participants)

Registration ordinarily includes the conference kit, certificate of participation and food (breakfast, lunch and refreshments).

Important Dates

20th July, 2026 – Abstract submission opens

8th August, 2026 – Abstract submission deadline

12th August, 2026 – Notification of acceptance

16th August, 2026 – Registration deadline

18th-19th August, 2026 – COLLOQUIUM

Important Links

Registration link is here

Payment link is here

Contact Information

E-mail: [email protected]

Phone:

+91 6305456760

+91 7093618181

The brochure is here and official notification is here.