I. Conference Content
The Conference theme will be “The Challenge of Global Cybersecurity”. The two main sessions will cover, respectively, cross-cutting issues and sectoral issues regarding cybersecurity.
Even if the full applicability of international law to cyberspace is assumed, there are many other horizontal issues that need to be sorted out. For instance, whether cyberspace has a distinctive legal-international character; or the extension of State jurisdiction as regards cyber activities; or the scope of State responsibility for activities carried out in cyberspace. As certain private actors have a preeminent role in cyberspace, State responsibility and attribution of international wrongful acts pose a huge challenge to international law.
On the other hand, the ever growing problem of cyber-attacks, and responses thereto, will give way to a number of sectoral issues. To be sure, there is a need to review the issue regarding the use of force in cyberspace and the applicability of the rules pertaining to international responsibility, the self-help regime and that of sanctions. Additionally, the following will be assessed: the capacity building and confidence-building measures explored by the UN and the OSCE; the international legal cooperation for the fight against cybercrime, initiated by the Council of Europe, with uneven results so far; the use of foreign policy instruments such as the EU cyber diplomacy toolbox; or the necessary protection of human rights as against State security activities.
There will be two main discussions devoted, respectively, to background international law issues and sectoral issues regarding cybersecurity. Both discussions will be preceded by key lectures where leading academics from these fields will present their views on the issue. Confirmed key note speakers include: Karine Bannelier (University Grenoble-Alpes), Russell Buchan (University of Sheffield), Matthias Kettemann (Leibniz Institute for Media Research), Scott Shackelford (Indiana University), Nicholas Tsagourias (University of Sheffield).
After the key lectures, those papers selected from the call for papers will be briefly presented by the authors. A debate will follow these presentations, moderated by the organizers.
II. Submission Procedure and Instructions
Paper proposals must be submitted by 1 February 2020 via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. in accordance with the following instructions.
Please write ‘Granada Conference 2020 CfP’ in the subject of the email, followed by ‘paper’ proposal, and then the subfield of Cybersecurity which should be one of the following: ‘horizontal’ or ‘sectoral’.
Paper proposals should include a cover e-mail with full institutional affiliation and contact details of the proposer, and a word attachment with an abstract of no longer than 600 words. The abstract must not include any details identifying the proposer but should contain the title of the paper, along with a line indicating ‘horizontal’ or ‘sectoral’.
The conference committee anticipates announcing the results of this call for papers by 15 February 2020.
Conference papers will be made available to conference participants prior to the conference. Accepted papers must be submitted by 15 March 2020, in order to ensure the dissemination of papers among conference attendees.
III. Conference Fees, Costs and Financial Support
All conference participants must cover their own travel, accommodation and attendance costs.
Conference fees:
- Regular: 100 Euros
- Student: 20 Euros
Enquiries
Please submit enquiries to the Conference organizers: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
IV. About the Conference organizers
The Research Project “The Challenge of Global Cybersecurity from an International-legal Perspective” is funded by the Spanish National Research Agency and developed within the Public International Law Department at the University of Granada.
Conference Chair
Antonio Segura-Serrano
Professor of International Law and European Law
