[Early career conference] Humanitarian disarmament

Background 

The Asser Institute early career conference series provides doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers with the opportunity to present their research on selected topics of international arms control law and receive feedback from experts and peers. The conference series additionally provides early career researchers with the opportunity to build networks within their field thereby strengthening the academic arms control community within the Netherlands and Europe. 

Topic of the conference 

The first 2025 conference features the topic ‘humanitarian disarmament’. Since the 1990s, humanitarian disarmament has reshaped the field of international arms control. Unlike traditional disarmament, humanitarian disarmament seeks to establish and implement legal norms that prevent and remediate harm to people and the environment rather than states. Specifically, humanitarian disarmament instruments prohibit a specific type of weapon, oblige state parties to eliminate stockpiles and require the provision of assistance to victims and the clearance of contaminated land. In March 2025, Poland, the Baltic States and Finland announced their intention to leave the Anti-Personnel Landmines Convention due to the deterioration of the security situation along NATO’s eastern front. The same month, Lithuania withdrew from the Convention on Cluster Munitions. By leaving these treaties, these states intend to send strategic messages to Russia that they are prepared to use all means to defend their countries. Experts warn that member state withdrawal would encourage other countries to reconsider their commitment to humanitarian disarmament treaties leading to a domino effect of non-compliance and abandonment of civilian protections during war.  

Conference programme 

Location: T.M.C. Asser Instituut

Date: 10-11 July 2025 

Organisers: Professor Thilo Marauhn; Thea Coventry  

At each conference, nine doctoral candidates or postdoctoral researchers will be selected to present their submitted papers and receive feedback from an expert discussant. The conference will be divided into three separate panels with three speakers and one discussant per panel. 

Participants wishing to present their research should submit a 250-word abstract on their presentation topic by email to Thea Coventry (t.coventry@asser.nl) by 5 May 2025. The full short conference paper (approx. 1500 words)is due by 16 June 2025. The papers will be shared with the expert discussants in advance. The conference is open for attendance to other early career academics and advanced master-level students. Presenting participants will receive a modest bursary to assist with travel/accommodation. 

Timeline