In September of 2024, the European Society of International Law (ESIL) will host its first international law conference in Vilnius. This will be the 19th annual ESIL conference, bringing together scholars, practitioners and students from all over the world to discuss and debate the most pressing issues in international law and international relations. Dr. Inga Martinkutė, attorney-at-law and lecturer at the Faculty of Law of Vilnius University, told us more about this event and its importance for the Lithuanian legal community.
Tell us a bit about the ESIL organisation – what makes it interesting?
When I was studying for my PhD in international law in Singapore, I noticed that in the field of international law, the two strongest international organisations are the American Society of International Law and the European Society of International Law (ESIL). Obviously, for us Lithuanians, ESIL is much more familiar, and it has very strong support from the European University Institute in Florence, which conducts high-quality research in international law. I was impressed by the quality of the content when I participated in ESIL events and activities. Their conferences are very interesting, the topics are very original and all the speakers are also really well prepared for their presentations.
Then I had the idea of how great it would be to have such a high-level international law event in Lithuania, in Vilnius, one day. I spoke to both the ESIL leadership and the leadership of the Faculty of Law at Vilnius University, and finally, after submitting the bid and winning, the decision was made to hold the 2024 ESIL conference in Vilnius.
What is the theme of this year’s conference? Why?
The theme of next year’s conference is “Technological change and international law”. It was chosen because it has attracted a lot of interest among international lawyers themselves, but also because our faculty has a lot of initiatives related to technology law. Lithuania not only has many interesting start-ups, but is also a pioneer in fintech. To put it simply, this topic seemed to be very interesting, relevant and forward-looking for Lithuania.
International law has a lot to do with technology, including the regulation of military technology, artificial intelligence, technology in the resolution of legal disputes, the collection of evidence, etc. Social networking algorithms can influence people’s prejudices and democratic choices, and it is therefore reasonable to raise questions as to how such technologies should be regulated or restricted at international level. There are many interesting topics that we will be able to touch on at this conference, including what Europe’s role is in this future world.
Technology helps people to become more powerful, to do things better, stronger and faster. But with new power comes new responsibilities and I see the law as a balancing tool to help ensure these responsibilities. Understanding where we are and what the role of law is in a world of new technologies is crucial these days, and so it requires debate.
The ESIL conference in Vilnius will take place on 5-6 September 2024 at the Radisson Blu Hotel Lithuania.