What is the primary focus of the ICJSHR?

The conference focuses on the interconnected themes of justice, security, and human rights.

What is the format of the conference?

The conference is an academic event, suggesting a format that includes presentations, discussions, and networking opportunities.

International Conference on Justice, Security and Human Rights (ICJSHR)

Name: International Conference on Justice, Security and Human Rights (ICJSHR)
Start: 2026-09-27T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-09-27T00:00:00Z
Location: Hong Kong

Sep 27, 2026Hong Kong, ChinaIn-person

Registration open

The International Conference on Justice, Security and Human Rights (ICJSHR) is an academic event focused on critical global issues. Held in CHN, it serves as a platform for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners to discuss contemporary challenges and advances in these interconnected fields. The conference aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and contribute to the development of robust frameworks for justice, security, and the protection of human rights worldwide.

Committees & topics

Topics
International Justice and Accountability for Atrocity Crimes · International Security in an Era of Hybrid and Emerging Threats · Human Rights Under Pressure: Technology, Conflict, and Climate

Why it matters

This conference is significant because it brings together diverse perspectives on issues that are fundamental to global stability and human dignity. In an era marked by complex geopolitical shifts and evolving threats, understanding the interplay between justice, security, and human rights is paramount. Discussions at events like the ICJSHR can inform policy, inspire new research, and strengthen international cooperation.

The focus on these themes in a major Asian city highlights the regional and global relevance of these discussions. The outcomes and insights generated from such gatherings can have far-reaching implications, influencing how states and international bodies approach these critical areas. For those interested in the practical application of international law and human rights principles, this conference offers a vital forum for engagement and learning.

How to prepare

Prospective attendees should prepare by thoroughly researching the current landscape of justice, security, and human rights, paying particular attention to regional dynamics relevant to the conference's location in CHN. Understanding the nuances of these fields, including emerging challenges and innovative solutions, will enable more meaningful participation. Reviewing the Model Diplomat lesson on "Dynamic Analysis" could be particularly useful, as it emphasizes understanding evolving situations and interconnected factors. Additionally, exploring "Engagement Strategies" can help participants effectively contribute to discussions and network with peers.

Consider how different national approaches, such as those from USA, RUS, or NLD, might intersect or diverge on key issues. Preparing to articulate a clear perspective, backed by evidence and a nuanced understanding of international norms, will be crucial. Participants should also be ready to engage with diverse viewpoints, including those that may challenge their own assumptions, fostering a truly collaborative and intellectually stimulating environment.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

China

As the host nation, CHN's perspective on justice, security, and human rights will be a central, though potentially complex, element of the conference.

Role in topic

CHN's role as a major global power means its approach to these issues, both domestically and internationally, significantly influences global discourse and practice. The conference's location in CHN provides a unique context for discussions on these topics.

United States

The USA typically champions a liberal internationalist view of human rights and security, often emphasizing individual liberties and democratic governance.

Role in topic

The USA is a significant actor in international justice and security frameworks, often advocating for universal human rights standards and participating in global security initiatives. Its perspectives will likely be prominent in discussions.

Russia

RUS often emphasizes state sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs when discussing justice and human rights, prioritizing national security.

Role in topic

RUS is a permanent member of the UN Security Council and a key player in international security. Its views on justice and human rights, particularly concerning state prerogatives, are influential in global debates.

Netherlands

The NLD is a strong proponent of international law, human rights, and the role of international institutions in upholding justice.

Role in topic

The NLD plays a significant role in international legal and human rights bodies, often hosting international courts and advocating for robust multilateral approaches to justice and security.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

International Justice and Accountability for Atrocity Crimes

The modern international justice architecture grew out of the Nuremberg and Tokyo tribunals after World War II, was reinforced by the ad hoc tribunals for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY, 1993) and Rwanda (ICTR, 1994), and was institutionalized by the 1998 Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2002. The ICC was designed as a court of last resort to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and (since the 2017 activation) the crime of aggression, complementing national jurisdictions under the principle of complementarity. The system is now under acute strain. ICC arrest warrants against Russian President Vladimir Putin (2023) over the deportation of Ukrainian children, and against Israeli and Hamas leaders (2024) over conduct in Gaza, have provoked sanctions threats and non-cooperation from powerful states. South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice, the ICJ's advisory opinion on the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and the withdrawal or non-membership of major states (the United States, Russia, China, and India are not parties to the Rome Statute) illustrate a widening gap between legal mandates and political enforcement. Debate today centers on closing impunity gaps without entrenching perceptions of selective justice. Key questions include whether the UN Security Council should be barred from deferring ICC cases under Article 16, how universal jurisdiction prosecutions in national courts should be coordinated, how to fund and protect victims and witnesses, and whether a dedicated tribunal for the crime of aggression against Ukraine should be created alongside reforms to make international justice more credible across the Global South.

Key players

International Security in an Era of Hybrid and Emerging Threats

The post-Cold War security order, anchored in the UN Charter's prohibition on the use of force and a network of arms-control treaties, has eroded over the past decade. Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine shattered European security assumptions and paralyzed the UN Security Council through repeated vetoes. In parallel, the war in Gaza since October 2023, the civil war in Sudan between the SAF and RSF, instability across the Sahel, and tensions in the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea have produced the highest level of state-based armed conflict since 1945, according to SIPRI and Uppsala data. Classical arms control is also unraveling. The INF Treaty collapsed in 2019, New START is in suspension and expires in 2026, and negotiations on the Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space (PAROS) remain stalled even as anti-satellite tests and dual-use space assets proliferate. The Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) has not produced binding rules, and the Open-Ended Working Group on ICTs continues to debate norms for responsible state behavior in cyberspace amid escalating attacks on critical infrastructure. The central challenge is adapting collective security mechanisms to threats that cross the boundaries between war and peace: cyber operations, disinformation, private military companies, autonomous systems, and the weaponization of supply chains and energy. Debate focuses on Security Council reform and veto restraint, the enforcement of existing sanctions (such as those under Resolution 1591 on Sudan), guardrails for military AI, and how to preserve strategic stability between nuclear powers as the New START framework expires.

Key players

Human Rights Under Pressure: Technology, Conflict, and Climate

The modern human rights system was built around the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the twin 1966 Covenants (ICCPR and ICESCR), supplemented by treaties on torture, racial discrimination, women's rights, and the rights of the child. The Human Rights Council, established in 2006 to replace the discredited Commission on Human Rights, operates through the Universal Periodic Review, Special Rapporteurs, and commissions of inquiry. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) provides the system's technical backbone. Three pressures now dominate the agenda. First, armed conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and the eastern DRC have produced mass civilian harm and the largest forced-displacement figures ever recorded by UNHCR. Second, generative AI, biometric surveillance, and platform governance raise novel questions about freedom of expression under ICCPR Article 19, privacy, and non-discrimination, addressed in the 2024 OHCHR B-Tech work and subsequent reports. Third, GA Resolution 76/300 (2022) recognized the right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, and the 2024 ITLOS advisory opinion and pending ICJ climate opinion are reshaping state obligations toward climate-displaced populations. The core dispute is between universalist and sovereigntist conceptions of human rights, compounded by accusations of selectivity. States debate whether to create new mandates (such as a Special Rapporteur on AI), how to enforce findings of commissions of inquiry, how to protect human rights defenders and journalists, and how to operationalize economic, social, and environmental rights for vulnerable populations without politicizing the Council itself.

Key players

Resources

News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for International Conference on Justice, Security and Human Rights (ICJSHR).

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Lessons

Bite-sized lessons to build the basics

Hidden Stakeholders

Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

Country dossier

By committee

Frequently asked questions

International Conference on Justice, Security and Human Rights (ICJSHR)

Sep 27, 2026Hong Kong, ChinaIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
International Justice and Accountability for Atrocity Crimes · International Security in an Era of Hybrid and Emerging Threats · Human Rights Under Pressure: Technology, Conflict, and Climate

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 4 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

China

As the host nation, CHN's perspective on justice, security, and human rights will be a central, though potentially complex, element of the conference.

Role in topic

United States

The USA typically champions a liberal internationalist view of human rights and security, often emphasizing individual liberties and democratic governance.

Role in topic

Russia

RUS often emphasizes state sovereignty and non-interference in internal affairs when discussing justice and human rights, prioritizing national security.

Role in topic

Netherlands

The NLD is a strong proponent of international law, human rights, and the role of international institutions in upholding justice.

Role in topic

The NLD plays a significant role in international legal and human rights bodies, often hosting international courts and advocating for robust multilateral approaches to justice and security.