[ASIL 2025] Closing plenary: Can arms trade bring about peace?
Published 8 April 2025
Photo by Wizard Goodvin
On April 18, researcher León Castellanos-Jankiewicz will moderate the closing plenary of the 2025 annual meeting of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) in Washington D.C.. The closing plenary, sponsored by the Asser Institute and the Municipality of The Hague, is one of the highlights of ASIL’s annual meeting. This year’s closing plenary, “Can Arms Trade Bring About Peace?”, will address the important yet overlooked role of weapons transfers in ensuring stability, as well as the consequences of their misuse as wars intensify worldwide.
Every war has a supply chain. Behind every battlefield is an industry, a network of companies, states, and intermediaries ensuring weapons continue to flow. But as conflicts in Ukraine, Israel/Palestine, and beyond intensify, so do the calls for greater legal scrutiny on how arms are transferred and used.
As global conflicts escalate and arms transfers reach record highs, the American Society of International Law (ASIL) 2025 annual meeting will close with a critical discussion on weapons procurement, arms transfers, and international law’s capacity to regulate them.
Moderated by León Castellanos-Jankiewicz of the Asser Institute, the session, provocatively titled “Can arms trade bring about peace?”, will feature legal experts and policy professionals tackling whether international law can prevent wrongful arms transfers and mitigate their humanitarian impact. The plenary, sponsored by The Hague Municipality and the Asser Institute, will also examine supply chain accountability and corporate responsibility in arms trade regulation.
Key questions include: How should states and corporations be held accountable for wrongful and reckless arms transfers? Are transnational supply chain regulations and industry safeguards the answer? Moreover, is international law equipped to prevent humanitarian crises linked to arms sales?
For legal professionals, policymakers, and industry leaders, this plenary offers a vital opportunity to reflect on whether and how international law can meet today’s security and ethical challenges.
Moderator:
- León Castellanos-Jankiewicz, Senior researcher at the Asser Institute
Introductory remarks
- Mariëlle Vavier, Deputy Mayor of the city of The Hague
Confirmed Speakers
- Lana Baydas, Program director for human rights, American Bar Association
- Allison McManus, Managing director for national security and international policy, Center for American Progress
- Josh Paul, Former U.S. State department official and co-founder & director of A New Policy
- Leila Nadya Sadat, James Carr Professor of international criminal law, Washington University in St. Louis
Read more:
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[Human Rights Council] United Nations to highlight Asser Institute call for transparency in Italy’s arms exports
On Monday 20 January, recommendations made by experts from the Asser Institute researcher León Castellanos-Jankiewicz regarding Italy’s arms exports were discussed at the 48th session of the United Nation’s Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review. According to these recommendations, Italy should incorporate human rights due diligence in the decision-making process about its arms exports. Read more.
