Durham Law School Hosted Prestigious International Workshop on “The Nexus Between Climate Change Law and Other Areas of Law”

Convened by Dean Professor Volker Roeben, the workshop took place from 30–31 May 2026 at the Hogan Lovells Theatre. The event marks a significant milestone: exactly two years since the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) delivered its landmark Advisory Opinion on climate change in May 2024. Over the last 24 months, a total of five international courts and tribunals have rendered decisions addressing climate change, signaling an unprecedented era of legal development that intersects with virtually every major field of international law.

Keynote Address by ITLOS President Tomas Heidar

The workshop opened with a prestigious keynote address by President Tomas Heidar of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. President Heidar delivered his "Reflections on the ITLOS Advisory Opinion on Climate Change," providing invaluable, first-hand insight into the Tribunal’s historic ruling and its evolving legacy.

Over two intensive days of presentations and discussions, the workshop addressed five core themes across dedicated panels, and scholars from across the United Kingdom, Europe, China, Australia presented at the workshop and brought their invaluable perspectives to Durham.

• Panel 1: Climate Change and General Law of the Sea
• Panel 2: Climate Change and Human Rights
• Panel 3: Climate Change and Fisheries
• Panel 4: Climate Change and Sea Level Rise
• Panel 5: Climate Litigation

We are proud to host this select group of scholars whose work has been so influential in shaping contemporary debates in this field. Durham Law School continues to be at the heart of global conversations that seek to understand and resolve these complex legal dynamics.