Call for Papers

ASSOCIAÇÃO BRASILEIRA DE RELAÇÕES INTERNACIONAIS (ABRI)

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION, LATIN AMERICAN AND THE CARIBBEAN REGION (ISA-LAC)

INTERNATIONAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION, DIPLOMATIC STUDIES SECTION (ISA-DPLST)

SUBMISSIONS IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, AND PORTUGUESE.

The deadline for submissions is March 10, 2025.

The 21st century has witnessed growing initiatives by governmental and non-governmental actors from the Global South in negotiations, advocacy campaigns, and in the circulation of “models” in various areas related to sustainable development. This intensity was accompanied by promises to reform the architecture and practices of global politics in order to offer more participation, more transparency and more social justice, based on diagnoses that the current power structures in the global order were harmful to the main part of the global population, located in the Global South. After more than two decades into the 21st century, however, these promises have been revisited and criticized, in light of concerns about the limitations of achieving effective structural transformation of the global order.

This international conference on Development and Diplomacy in the Global South will explore the complex nexus of sustainable development, international diplomacy, and global governance, with a particular focus on the unique challenges and opportunities facing the Global South. Engaging with the policy agendas of key global gatherings, such as the 16th Conference of the Parties (COP) to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) in Cali, Colombia (October 2024), the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro (November 2024), and COP 30 on Climate Change in Belém, Brazil (November 2025), the conference will examine how such pivotal events shape and inform strategies for sustainable development and equitable global governance.

The conference seeks to address how can Global South nations balance economic growth, environmental sustainability, and social equity, while actively participating in and reshaping global governance structures? How can global initiatives be translated into diplomatic frameworks that promote environmental sustainability, particularly in regions where development imperatives often clash with ecological preservation? It will also highlight the importance of inclusive diplomacy, where emerging economies from the Global South contribute to reshaping global governance models to better reflect their interests, particularly in areas such as climate justice, green technology transfer, and financing for sustainable development.

By aligning the discussions with the G20’s focus on economic cooperation, the conference will emphasize the role of multilateral diplomacy in fostering South-South collaboration and elevating the voice of developing countries in global forums. The conference will also provide an opportunity to craft a strategic vision for future engagements, particularly in the lead-up to COP 30, focusing on global governance mechanisms that ensure sustainable practices are at the forefront of development initiatives.

The conference, in this sense, seeks to mobilize the academic community as well as policy practitioners to debate, reflect and articulate new avenues of research and advocacy around questions such as:

1. How have current global challenges such as climate change, food security, global health and migration crises impacted the Global South?
2. Given the interdependence between the Global North and South in terms of trade, investment, innovation and technology, what are the opportunities and challenges for diplomacy and development today? How have the countries of the Global South negotiated more favorable terms on these issues to enable sustainable and inclusive economic growth?
3. Given the needs and realities of the Global South, what are the challenges and structural changes facing global governance, in bodies such as the UN, the IMF, and the World Bank, in order to establish a fairer and more equitable international system that promotes global development?
4. What contributions have the countries of the Global South made to reforms towards a global order that is more favorable to agendas of environmental preservation, climate justice and equity?
5. What are the criteria and mechanisms through which the concerns vocalized by countries in the Global South regarding environmental preservation, climate justice and equity have found resonance in international fora?
6. What place have South-South relations occupied on the agenda of countries in the Global South itself? What contributions and limits do these agendas imply for power disputes between the North and the Global South?
7. In addition to state diplomacy, what other types of diplomacy have been relevant to the construction of alternative agendas to the global order and to patterns of development seen as problematic in terms of preserving ecosystems?
8. How have digital technologies helped the countries of the Global South to boost their economic and social development, and changed their diplomatic actions in order to participate more effectively in international negotiations and forums?
9. What is the impact of the recent changes in the global political spectrum – most especially, the rise of the extreme right – on the strengthening of the environmental agenda?

Academic discussions such as these will not only take place in a context of reconfiguration of the practices in global politics: they will also be held in the context of the celebration of ABRI’s 20th anniversary. Co-sponsored by the Diplomatic Studies Section and the Latin American & Caribbean Region of the ISA, this conference will therefore be a unique opportunity to enhance the critical work and the circulation of knowledge of excellence as key responsibilities of the International Relations academic community – indispensable ingredients in any pursuit of an order which is fairer and attentive to the sensitive context of the planetary crisis we are immersed in.

Types of Proposals and Submissions

All proposals must be submitted via the ISAnet system.
The submission deadline is March 10, 2025. If you have any questions, contact the program team at DPLST-LAC2025@isanet.org.

• Papers
• Panels
• Roundtables
• Early Career Scholar Panels (Special Program Proposals):Early Career Scholar Panels are made up of early career scholar papers and designed to provide additional feedback for early scholars. Please submit a proposal consisting of a panel title, abstract, and five papers authored by early-career scholars (complete with title, tags, abstract, and authors). Your panel should include at least 1 chair and 1 discussant.
• Author Meets Critics: A roundtable that discusses a book published in the last year. Include title and abstract. Roundtable should include at least 1 author, 1 chair, and 2-5 discussants.
• Minicourses: This is a short training course (3 hours) for undergraduate and graduate students, observing institutional, regional, racial, and gender diversity. Please submit the title of the minicourse proposed, the topic, and a short description (500 words) with literature of reference.

ABRI members will hold a 40% discount, that will be granted as long as ABRI membership is renewed. Members should contact ABRI (secretaria@abri.org.br) to get access to their discount code.

Registration and payment for non-presenting undergraduate students who wish to attend the conference will be handled through the Enabri website. Those interested in submitting a Scientific Initiation proposal must submit their work and register through the ISA system.

Others who plan to attend without presenting and wish to apply under the affirmative action policy should submit the required documents via the Enabri website.

Further details on ABRI’s awards will be available at https://enabri25.abri.org.br

Programme Chairs

• Asaf Siniver (Chair, ISA-DPLST)
• Melisa Deciancio (Chair, ISA-LAC)
• Ana Carolina Teixeira Delgado (President, ABRI)
• Feliciano de Sá Guimarães (University of São Paulo)