What is the primary focus of this conference?

The conference focuses on international relations, providing a platform for discussions on contemporary global issues in La Plata, ARG.

XIII Congreso de Relaciones Internacionales 2026

Name: XIII Congreso de Relaciones Internacionales 2026
Start: 2026-11-25T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-11-27T00:00:00Z
Location: La Plata

Nov 25–27, 2026La Plata, ArgentinaIn-person

Registration open

The XIII Congreso de Relaciones Internacionales is an academic conference hosted in La Plata, ARG, focusing on international relations. This event serves as a crucial forum for scholars and practitioners to engage with contemporary global issues and explore evolving dynamics in international affairs. Participants will have the opportunity to present research, exchange ideas, and contribute to the discourse on various facets of global governance, regional integration, and foreign policy.

Committees & topics

Topics
International Political Relations · International Economic Relations · International Security · New Developments in International Law · International Cooperation · Regional Integration Processes · Human Rights in the International Order · Gender(s) and International Relations

Why it matters

This conference holds significant importance as it convenes experts in international relations within a key South American intellectual hub. The discussions and research presented here can influence policy considerations and academic understanding of complex global challenges. By fostering dialogue among diverse perspectives, the congress contributes to a more nuanced appreciation of international relations, particularly concerning regional specificities and their broader implications.

The gathering in La Plata, ARG, provides a unique lens through which to examine international relations, offering insights that might differ from those originating in other geopolitical centers. This regional focus is vital for understanding how global trends manifest and are addressed at a local and regional level, thereby enriching the overall field of international studies. The insights generated from such forums are instrumental in developing comprehensive strategies for international cooperation and conflict resolution.

How to prepare

To effectively engage with the discussions at this congress, participants should consider conducting thorough research on the current geopolitical landscape, with a particular emphasis on South American perspectives. Understanding the historical and contemporary foreign policy positions of countries like ARG will be beneficial. Reviewing recent academic publications and policy papers from institutions in the region can provide a strong foundation for contributions.

Delegates should prepare to articulate their positions clearly and concisely, drawing on robust evidence and theoretical frameworks. Familiarity with various engagement strategies will be useful for navigating discussions and fostering productive exchanges. Additionally, considering the hidden stakeholders in any given international issue can lead to a more comprehensive and impactful analysis during the conference proceedings.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 3 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Argentina

As the host nation, ARG provides a regional perspective on international relations, often emphasizing multilateralism and South-South cooperation.

Role in topic

ARG plays a central role by hosting this significant international relations congress in La Plata, facilitating a platform for regional and global academic exchange. Its foreign policy often reflects a commitment to regional integration and a nuanced approach to global power dynamics.

Brazil

BRA is a major regional power in South America, advocating for a multipolar world order and active participation in global governance.

Role in topic

BRA's perspective is crucial for understanding South American international relations, given its economic and political influence. Its engagement in discussions on regional security, trade, and environmental issues will be highly relevant.

Chile

CHL often adopts a pragmatic foreign policy focused on trade liberalization and integration into global markets.

Role in topic

CHL's experience with open markets and its Pacific Rim orientation offers a distinct South American viewpoint, particularly in discussions concerning international trade and economic diplomacy.

Topics & background

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

International Political Relations

International political relations in the contemporary era are defined by the erosion of the post–Cold War unipolar moment and the emergence of a more contested, multipolar order. The United States, which dominated global politics following the Soviet collapse in 1991, now faces sustained strategic competition from a rising China and a revisionist Russia, whose 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked the most significant rupture of European security norms since 1945. Middle powers such as India, Brazil, Turkey, and the Gulf states have simultaneously asserted more autonomous foreign policies, often refusing to align fully with either Washington or Beijing. The liberal international order built around the United Nations, the Bretton Woods institutions, and a network of alliances is under visible strain. The UN Security Council has been repeatedly paralyzed by vetoes over Ukraine, Syria, and Gaza, while forums such as the BRICS (expanded in 2024 to include new members) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation have grown as alternative platforms. Debates today center on whether the international system is transitioning to a stable multipolarity, a bipolar US-China rivalry, or a fragmented 'multi-order' world in which regional powers shape distinct spheres.

Key players

International Economic Relations

The global economy is undergoing its most significant reorganization since the Bretton Woods era. After three decades of hyper-globalization driven by WTO accession (notably China's in 2001) and the proliferation of global value chains, the 2008 financial crisis, the US-China trade war launched in 2018, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine have together triggered a shift toward 'de-risking,' friend-shoring, and industrial policy. The United States' CHIPS and Science Act and Inflation Reduction Act, the European Union's Green Deal Industrial Plan, and China's Made in China 2025 strategy reflect a broad return of the state to economic management. This fragmentation coexists with persistent interdependence: trade as a share of global GDP remains historically high, and the dollar continues to dominate reserves and trade invoicing despite incremental de-dollarization efforts. Sovereign debt distress across low-income countries, climate finance shortfalls relative to COP commitments, and disputes over the reform of the IMF, World Bank, and WTO dispute settlement system structure today's debates. Tensions over export controls on advanced semiconductors, critical minerals, and green technologies illustrate how economic policy has become inseparable from national security.

Key players

International Security

International security has entered a period of acute volatility. Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine reintroduced large-scale interstate war to Europe and prompted NATO's enlargement to include Finland (2023) and Sweden (2024), while the October 2023 Hamas attack and the ensuing war in Gaza have destabilized the Middle East, drawing in Iran-backed actors from Lebanon to Yemen. In the Indo-Pacific, tensions over Taiwan, the South China Sea, and North Korea's accelerating nuclear and missile programs have driven sharp increases in defense spending and the consolidation of arrangements such as AUKUS and the Quad. Classical concerns over nuclear deterrence have returned alongside new domains of competition. The New START treaty between the US and Russia is suspended and set to expire in 2026 with no successor in sight; cyber operations, space militarization, and the weaponization of artificial intelligence are reshaping the character of conflict. Non-state threats — from the resurgence of jihadist groups in the Sahel to transnational criminal networks in the Americas — compound the agenda, while UN peacekeeping faces a crisis of legitimacy after withdrawals from Mali and the DRC.

Key players

New Developments in International Law

International law is in a phase of rapid doctrinal evolution under significant political stress. The International Court of Justice has issued landmark rulings and advisory opinions on South Africa's genocide case against Israel (2024), on the legal consequences of Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory, and on states' obligations regarding climate change (2025). The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for sitting heads of state including Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, testing the court's reach and the cooperation obligations of states parties. New normative frontiers are also taking shape. The 2023 BBNJ Agreement on biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, ongoing negotiations on a UN cybercrime convention and a binding plastics treaty, the EU Artificial Intelligence Act (2024), and debates over autonomous weapons systems at the CCW illustrate how international law is expanding into the environmental, digital, and technological domains. At the same time, selective compliance, US ambivalence toward the ICC, and Russian and Chinese challenges to liberal interpretations of sovereignty and human rights raise questions about the universality and enforceability of the system.

Key players

International Cooperation

International cooperation, institutionalized after 1945 through the UN system and reinforced by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted in 2015, is at a midpoint of stocktaking and reform. With only five years remaining to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, the UN has acknowledged that most targets are off-track, a gap deepened by the COVID-19 pandemic, debt crises, and conflict-driven displacement at record highs. The 2024 Summit of the Future and its Pact for the Future sought to revitalize multilateralism through reforms to the international financial architecture, digital governance, and Security Council representation. Climate cooperation under the UNFCCC remains the most consequential test. The 2023 Loss and Damage Fund operationalized at COP28 and the new collective quantified goal on climate finance agreed at COP29 in Baku have not closed the gap between pledges and needs. Development cooperation is increasingly polycentric: traditional OECD-DAC donors operate alongside Chinese Belt and Road financing, Gulf development funds, and South-South initiatives, raising questions about coordination, conditionality, and effectiveness.

Key players

Regional Integration Processes

Regional integration projects, once seen as the natural complement to globalization, are adapting unevenly to a more fragmented world. The European Union remains the most advanced model, deepening fiscal and defense cooperation through NextGenerationEU, the European Peace Facility, and accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova, while navigating internal disputes over rule of law. In Latin America, Mercosur has finalized — though not yet ratified — its agreement with the EU, the Pacific Alliance continues to operate, and broader regional bodies such as UNASUR and CELAC have struggled to consolidate amid ideological divergence. Elsewhere, the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), operational since 2021, represents the most ambitious new integration project, while ASEAN maintains its centrality in Indo-Pacific diplomacy despite the Myanmar crisis. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), the USMCA review process scheduled for 2026, and Eurasian Economic Union dynamics in the post-Soviet space illustrate the diversity of integration logics — from deep institutional union to flexible trade arrangements — and the tension between open regionalism and emerging trade blocs.

Key players

Human Rights in the International Order

The international human rights regime, anchored in the 1948 Universal Declaration and elaborated through the core UN treaties and regional systems, is facing one of its most contested moments. Armed conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Myanmar, and the Sahel have produced mass atrocities and record forced displacement — more than 120 million people, according to UNHCR — while authoritarian consolidation and democratic backsliding have been documented across every region. The Human Rights Council's Universal Periodic Review and special procedures continue to operate, but selectivity, politicization, and non-cooperation by powerful states limit their impact. New frontiers include the human rights implications of artificial intelligence and surveillance, climate-induced displacement following the 2025 ICJ advisory opinion linking climate obligations to human rights, and the rights of LGBTQ+ persons amid growing legislative backlash in several states. Business and human rights frameworks, including the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (2024), are expanding the role of non-state actors, while debates persist between universalist and culturally relativist understandings of rights, particularly in fora dominated by Global South majorities.

Key players

Gender(s) and International Relations

Gender entered the formal international agenda with the 1979 CEDAW Convention, the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, and UN Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000) on Women, Peace and Security, which recognized the differentiated impact of conflict on women and the importance of their participation in peace processes. Subsequent resolutions and the proliferation of National Action Plans have institutionalized the WPS agenda, while Feminist Foreign Policies — pioneered by Sweden in 2014 and later adopted by Canada, Mexico, Germany, Spain, Chile, and others — have sought to mainstream gender across diplomacy, trade, and development. Thirty years after Beijing, however, progress is uneven and contested. UN Women reports that no country is on track to achieve gender equality by 2030, conflict-related sexual violence persists from Ukraine to Sudan, and the rollback of reproductive rights and protections for LGBTQ+ persons has accelerated in multiple regions. Sweden's 2022 abandonment of its Feminist Foreign Policy label and Argentina's 2023 closure of its gender ministry illustrate the political fragility of these frameworks. Debates today extend beyond women's rights to broader questions of gender identity, intersectionality, masculinities, and the gendered dimensions of climate change, migration, and digital violence.

Key players

Resources

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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

Argentina November 2026

By committee

Frequently asked questions

XIII Congreso de Relaciones Internacionales 2026

Nov 25–27, 2026La Plata, ArgentinaIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
International Political Relations · International Economic Relations · International Security · New Developments in International Law · International Cooperation · Regional Integration Processes · Human Rights in the International Order · Gender(s) and International Relations

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 3 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

Argentina

As the host nation, ARG provides a regional perspective on international relations, often emphasizing multilateralism and South-South cooperation.

Role in topic

Brazil

BRA is a major regional power in South America, advocating for a multipolar world order and active participation in global governance.

Role in topic

Chile

CHL often adopts a pragmatic foreign policy focused on trade liberalization and integration into global markets.

Role in topic

CHL's experience with open markets and its Pacific Rim orientation offers a distinct South American viewpoint, particularly in discussions concerning international trade and economic diplomacy.