May 08, 2026
Theme: Beyond Hegemonic Instability: Green Regionalism in the Global Context
Date: 3-4 December 2026,
Location: Singapore
The 10th Asian International Economic Law Network Conference is co-organized by the Centre for Digital Law of the Singapore Management University (SMU) Yong Pung How School of Law, the Asian International Economic Law Network of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL), and the United Nations University Institute on Comparative Regional Integration Studies (UNU-CRIS), in partnership with the Journal of World Investment & Trade (JWIT) and the Asian Journal of WTO & International Health Law and Policy (AJWH).
I. Theme
Since the 1990s, climate action at the international level has gained increasing prominence. Key sustainability initiatives include the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement. The WTO, from its founding in the Uruguay Round to the Doha Round, has also emphasized environmental sustainability. While both the UN and the WTO recognize the role of the international trade framework in advancing climate governance and a green economy, the trade-sustainability nexus remains contested. Amid a new era of hegemonic instability, the rules-based international order has become increasingly fragmented. Divergences among major powers in environmental and energy roadmaps have made consensus on multilateral efforts more difficult.
In response to the pressing need for economic resilience and environmental protection, governments and regional blocs have developed market-oriented approaches to sustainability. These innovative approaches contribute to the emergence of “green regionalism,” defined as a normative process through which regional economic frameworks integrate and operationalize environmental sustainability. This conference invites participants to examine the ways in which green regionalism shapes the New Regional Economic Order and helps build the normative foundations for evolving trade-sustainability dynamics.
Building on the 2024 SMU-Leiden Workshop on Green Regionalism, which led to publications exploring the intersection of international law and international relations, this conference focuses on how different areas of law interact to advance green regionalism. Papers may include areas such as energy law, environmental law, financial law, investment law, technology law, trade law, and the law of the sea.
Beyond the EU model, comparative perspectives on regional frameworks, such as those involving ASEAN, the African Union, the Gulf Cooperation Council, and MERCOSUR, are particularly welcome. Proposals addressing the theoretical and normative dimensions of green initiatives by middle powers and small states are also encouraged.
II. Submission of Proposals and Papers
The organizing committee welcomes proposals addressing questions concerning green regionalism and its global implications. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Will green regionalism enhance or complicate multilateral efforts under institutions such as the WTO and the UN, as well as emerging initiatives including the proposed Global Plastics Treaty? 2. What are the strengths and weaknesses of initiatives aimed at combating climate change and promoting renewable energy within regional frameworks such as APEC and ASEAN, as well as trade agreements such as the CPTPP and RCEP?
3. What are the key implications of recent EU FTAs and US Agreements on Reciprocal Trade for sustainable development?
4. How are Indo-Pacific countries responding to the EU’s CBAM, and might they adopt comparable carbon pricing mechanisms, if at all?
5. How do investment treaty negotiations, existing investment promotion and facilitation frameworks, investment screening mechanisms, and ISDS interact with sustainability objectives?
6. To what extent do regional green financing mechanisms, regional development banks and other financial integration initiatives promote sustainability?
7. How does the liberalization of environmental goods and services, as well as fossil fuel subsidy reform under initiatives such as the Agreement on Climate Change, Trade and Sustainability and Green Economy Agreements, affect sustainability?
8. How does the normative development of AI, data governance, digitalization, and space technology influence green regionalism?
9. How should green regionalism address tensions between development opportunities and environmental harm, including in relation to the blue economy, deep seabed mining, marine resources, and the Blue Pacific?
The selection of papers will follow the two stages below:
Stage 1: Paper proposals must be submitted via the designated form by 1 July 2026. A proposal of no more than 500 words should include the author’s name, institutional affiliation, and full contact information. Please also provide a 1-2 page CV, including a list of recent publications in English. The organizing committee will review the proposals and notify applicants of their selection for Stage 2 in July 2026.
Stage 2: Authors whose proposals are accepted will be invited to present their papers at the conference, subject to the timely submission of complete, unpublished papers by 20 October 2026. Papers should clearly articulate their arguments and be between 8,000 and 12,000 words, including footnotes. Each submission should include a 100-150 word abstract and 3-8 keywords in alphabetical order. Please refer to the JWIT Author Instructions for further requirements.
Late submissions of proposals or full papers will not be accepted. Only authors whose proposals are accepted and who submit full papers by the deadline will be confirmed as presenters. With support provided by SMU’s Lee Kong Chian Professorship, Yong Pung How Fellowship, and Taiwan Studies Project Grant, the organizers will waive registration fees for selected authors. Partial funding may be made available to early-career scholars, subject to review by the organizing committee.
III. Publication and Additional Information
Five to seven papers will be selected for publication in a special section of the JWIT, edited by Professors Pasha Hsieh and Joanna Lam. Papers may also be submitted to the AJWH for consideration. Publication in either journal will be subject to the respective journal’s editorial and review processes.
The conference will be held at the SMU Yong Pung How School of Law in Singapore. It will be conducted in person and by invitation only. Leading academics and officials from international organizations will be invited to serve as commentators at the conference, which will also feature the official launch of SMU’s United Nations University Hub on Green and Digital Regionalism.
Selected reference materials related to green regionalism include: Pasha Hsieh, Green Regionalism in World Trade Law, World Trade Review (2025); Joanna Lam & Stefan Voigt, International Investment Law and Plurilateralism – Concept, Prospects and Limitations, Journal of World Investment & Trade (2025); Julien Chaisse & Pasha Hsieh, Rethinking Asia-Pacific Regionalism and New Economic Agreements, Asia Pacific Law Review (2023).
The organizing committee is composed of Julien Chaisse, Yvonne Guo, Jarrod Hepburn, Pasha Hsieh, Yoshimichi Ishikawa, Joanna Lam, Meredith Kolsky Lewis, Junji Nakagawa, Stefanie Schacherer, Tran Hoang Tu Linh, Yueming Yan, and Yueh-Ping (Alex) Yang. Inquiries can be directed to SMULawResearch@gmail.com.
For more information visit: 10th AIELN Conference