V BIENNIAL CONFERENCE OF THE LATIN AMERICAN NETWORK OF INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC LAW (Red LatDEI)

 

The Changing Landscape of IEL: Latin America’s Responses and Proposals

2 December – 4 December 2026
Santiago, Instituto de Estudios Internacionales, Universidad de Chile

 

Call for Papers – Articles, Panels and Posters

 

Deadline for proposal submissions: 7 July 2026
Result notification: 30 July 2026
Submission of papers and presentations: 30 October 2026

Working languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish

 

The Latin American Network of International Economic Law (RedLatDEI), the Department of Company Law and Markets at Universidad Externado, Universidade Federal de São Paulo and the Institute of International Studies of the University of Chile invite academics, practitioners, government officials, researchers, and students to submit proposals for articles, panels, and posters.

 

RedLatDEI aims to create a dynamic and plural space for debating the future of international economic law (IEL) from Latin America, and seeks to establish a permanent dialogue among policy makers, academia, practitioners, and the society in general, while building bridges with other regions of the Global South to compare experiences, conduct joint studies, and develop collaborative proposals to address issues of common interest for the Global South.

 

As Global South perspectives gain greater visibility in global rulemaking, it is essential to articulate the region’s own proposals, critiques, and alternatives, including how IEL can help address social, environmental, technological, and developmental challenges in trade and investment, among other IEL-related issues.

We strongly encourage submissions from early-career scholars, graduate and undergraduate students, and emerging voices in the field. Special attention will be given to joint proposals between different regions of the global south. Submissions from interdisciplinary backgrounds (law, economics, political science, international relations, sociology, geography, anthropology, public policy) are very welcome.

 

Please note that all participants are expected to attend the conference in person. 

A.                TOPICS FOR SUBMISSION

I.                  Global Shifts and Geoeconomics

●       Repositioning Latin America in an age of geoeconomic fragmentation, geopolitics of supply chains, and great-power rivalry.

●       National and economic security and their impacts on trade, investment, and technology governance.

●       Extraterritorial regulatory impacts (EU Green Deal, CSDDD, CBAM, US industrial policy) on Latin America.

●       Strategic trade, economic sanctions, trade controls, and other coercive measures on IEL.

II.               Regional Integration and Governance

●       New pathways for Latin American regional integration: opportunities and challenges.

●       New pathways for Latin American and other Global South regional integration: opportunities and challenges.

●       The future of cooperation and integration institutions, such as MERCOSUR, CAN, SICA, CARICOM, ALADI, CELAC, and others.

●       International and regional technical cooperation, including cooperation on critical minerals, energy, infrastructure, and digital markets.

III.            International Trade and Investment Regimes

●       Latin America's role in international trade and investment systems, such as WTO reform and plurilateral negotiations.

●       Challenges to dispute settlement mechanisms, including Investor-State Dispute Settlement.

●       Trade and investment rules for industrial policy and development.

●       Current transformations for international trade and investment regimes, including new issues (digital, services, environment, human rights, gender, and sustainability), and new-generation of investment and trade agreements.

IV.             Sustainability, Climate, and Human Rights

●       Critical minerals, energy transition, and green industrial policy in Latin America.

●       IEL solutions to the climate crisis: mitigation, adaptation, and loss & damage. Strategic litigation, advisory opinions, and climate-related cases in Latin America.

●       Business and human rights: due diligence, community rights, and supply-chain governance. Challenges and innovative approaches over land, Indigenous rights, water governance, and extractivism.

●       Sustainability trade and investments standards and their impacts on Latin American economies and communities.

 

V.                Digital Economy, Technology, and Development

●       Digital trade governance and Latin American regulatory strategies.

●       Data flows, privacy, cybersecurity, and AI regulations in IEL.

●       Digital inclusion, e-commerce, and development.

●       Challenges and opportunities of a Latina American Digital Market.

VI.             Fiscal, Financial, and Industrial Policy

●       Digital transformation of financial systems and its impact on IEL.

●       Global tax reform, fiscal sovereignty, and revenue distribution.

●       Development banks, infrastructure finance, and industrial policy.

●       China’s Belt and Road Initiative and financial governance in Latin America.

VII.          Cross-Cutting, Theoretical and Interdisciplinary Approaches

●       Intersectional perspectives and theories on IEL.

●       Theoretical contributions of Latin America to IEL.

●       Epistemic justice and Global South contributions to international economic rulemaking.

●       New methodological approaches of IEL (empirical, sociolegal, interdisciplinary, critical).

VIII.       Other proposals related to the central theme of the conference

Including analyses that propose new frameworks, critiques, or institutional innovations for the future of international economic law in Latin America.

 

B.                SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

I.                  Format

●       Panels, individual papers, and posters will be selected via double-blind peer review.

●       Submissions should be sent via the form: https://forms.gle/AXdW2CFQUrStp3TW6

II.               Individual papers or posters

Submit:

●       Abstract (max. 500 words)

●       Name, institutional affiliation, current degree (or degree in progress) short bio.

●       Indicate whether the work is: published, a working paper, or unpublished.

●       Indicate whether you intend to submit the final paper for publication in a thematic book or journal special issue.

III.            Panel proposals

Panels of 45 min. must include:

ü  4 members (3 expositors, and 1 moderator)

ü  Panel title + abstract (max. 500 words)

ü  Individual abstracts (max. 300 words each)

ü  Names, affiliations, short bios

Panel organizers should ensure regional and gender diversity, and will be responsible for confirming the participation of all members. To strengthen dialogue between academia, government, civil society, and the private sector, we strongly recommend the participation of non-academic professionals in the panel.

IV.             Professionals outside academia

To strengthen dialogue between academia, government, and the private sector, a limited number of submissions from non-academic professionals will be accepted without a full paper.
 Required:

●       Abstract (max. 300 words)

●       Short description of how the topic relates to the applicant’s professional experience

●       CV

●       Commitment to submit a PowerPoint presentation

C.                Funding and Logistics

The event does not cover travel or accommodation. A registration fee of USD 50 will be charged to all participants to cover the costs associated with organizing the event.
 General information and details on how to make registration will be published soon.

D.                Publication

Accepted papers (entre 9 a 10 mil palabras) may be selected by the editorial committee for publication in thematic books or journal special issues.

E.                Contact

📧 redlatdei@gmail.com

 

F.                 Invitation to the General Assembly

All participants are invited to join the RedLatDEI Assembly and become members of the Network.

G.                About RedLatDEI

The Red Latinoamericana de Derecho Económico Internacional (RedLatDEI) is the Latin American regional network of the Society of International Economic Law (SIEL). Its biennial conference serves as a leading platform for dialogue among scholars, practitioners, and policymakers committed to rethinking the role of Latin America in international economic governance.

Since its creation, RedLatDEI has convened conferences hosted by ITAM (Mexico), Universidad Externado de Colombia, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (Brazil) and Universidad de Costa Rica, bringing together some of the most prominent experts in international economic law. Participants have included members of the Mercosur Permanent Review Tribunal, judges of the Andean Court of Justice, former members of the WTO Appellate Body, as well as over 200 academics, lawyers, and representatives of international organizations.

The Network is supported by academic institutions across the region and actively promotes interdisciplinary, decolonial, and plural perspectives in the study and practice of international economic law.

The best papers and presentations from previous editions have been selected and published in co-edited volumes and peer-reviewed journals, reinforcing RedLatDEI’s commitment to fostering high-quality research and amplifying Latin American voices in global debates.