Institute of International Legal Studies

07/08/2026

𝐖𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐀𝐬𝐢𝐚 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐋𝐚𝐰 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐚𝐫𝐞.

The special issue examines how emerging military uses of artificial intelligence are reshaping contemporary warfare and putting pressure on existing frameworks of international humanitarian law, accountability, and human control.

The Asia-Pacific Journal of International Humanitarian Law (APJIHL) is a publication of the Institute of International Legal Studies-University of the Philippines Law Center (UP-IILS). The Journal seeks to produce peer-reviewed scholarly articles, book reviews, and commentary on significant developments and current issues in international humanitarian law and related fields. It has a special focus on the Asia-Pacific region, and the Regular Issue is published once a year.

The 2026 Special Issue may be accessed at https://apjihl.org/issue/special-issue-2026-edition/

03/08/2026

Para Doxa officially publishes the following blog articles and discussion papers for 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐲: 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 – 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲.

• Lawfare Without Consequence: International Humanitarian Law, the Gaza Crisis, and the Enforcement Paradox by Amogh Singh

• State Borders Extend to a Chip, a Cloud, and a Tax Rule: The Philippines in the Age of Economic (In)Security by Jef Mitzel Paran

• Reading Article 53 Against the Practice It No Longer Describes: West Africa, Resolution 2719 and the Quiet Renegotiation of Regional Enforcement under the UN Charter by Dr. Nishant Singh Rawat & Mr. Anish Sinha

• Uniting for Peace in the Taiwan Strait: An Alternative to a Possible United Nation’s Security Council Deadlock by Raphael Teodoro Ribaya Regala

We invite students, faculty, research fellows, and visiting scholars to submit their written works to [email protected].

For access to the full articles, visit: https://law.upd.edu.ph/IILS/pages/para-doxa/.

28/07/2026

On July 23, 2025, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) delivered its historic Advisory Opinion on the Obligations of States in Respect of Climate Change. Building on the momentum generated by the ITLOS and IACtHR Advisory Opinions, the ICJ Advisory Opinion clarified binding obligations to prevent irreversible harm to the environment, including a stringent due diligence standard and the recognition that protection of the climate system is a precondition for the full enjoyment of human rights.

In the article titled "𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫: 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐂𝐉 𝐀𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐎𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐎𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞," we examine this significant milestone and its progression, including the passage of the UN General Assembly Resolution on May 13, 2026, and its impact on the Philippine landscape.

You may access the full article here: https://law.upd.edu.ph/IILS/pages/one-year-later-icj-advisory-opinion-obligations-of-states-climate-change/

28/07/2026

Para Doxa is now accepting submissions for blog articles and short discussion papers centered on the theme for August: International Humanitarian Law—New Challenges and New Frontiers of Applicability

We invite students, faculty, research fellows, and visiting scholars to submit their written works following the Submission Guidelines, which can be accessed via https://bit.ly/GuidelinesParaDoxa.

Authors may choose to submit under any of the categories listed above; however, accepted submissions will only be published during the month in which the theme of their submission falls.

To know more about Para Doxa, visit https://law.upd.edu.ph/IILS/pages/para-doxa/.

27/07/2026

24/07/2026

The Institute of International Legal Studies, through its International Environmental Law Research Program, recently launched the publication entitled “Negotiations from the Frontlines: Perspectives of Filipino Negotiators in Global Climate Governance.” The book launch was held last July 10, 2026, at the 2nd Floor Conference Room in Bocobo Hall, UP Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City. The event was hosted by Atty. Jurella Guiahara D. Santos, Law Reform Specialist of the Institute of International Legal Studies.

The event was opened by Associate Dean Paolo Tamase of the UP College of Law. He opened by welcoming the publication of the book for the Philippines, which he emphasized is disproportionately impacted by climate change. Seasoned Filipino climate negotiators spoke on their experiences and learnings throughout the program, including some authors and editors of the book.

Atty. Analiza Rebuelta-Teh, Undersecretary for Finance, Information Systems, and Climate Change of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), praised the book as providing critical institutional memory of the Philippines' three decade journey within the UNFCCC. She highlighted the need for the government to align international commitments with domestic action in climate negotiations, building alliances and coalitions, bridging the gap between climate science and policymaking, and promoting inclusive governance to promote innovative approaches to climate negotiations.

Mr. Jerome Ilagan, Chief of the Policy Research and Development Division (PRDD), Climate Change Commission, stated that the book is a “memory of the heart,” documenting the Philippines’ role and contributions to climate diplomacy since the 1st Conference of Parties (COP) in 1995. He emphasized that climate negotiation is a collaborative process where institutions and actors work tirelessly behind the scenes to represent the voices of the Filipino people who cannot directly be heard at the negotiating table.

Atty. Alaya de Leon, Deputy Executive Director of Forest Foundation Philippines, also reflected on her experience joining the UNFCCC negotiation process in 2011 and REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation). From the early stages of her career to today, she expressed hope that the book would inspire the younger generation of climate negotiators and encourage future leaders to pursue international climate negotiations for the betterment of the Philippines and its people.

Atty. Vicente Paolo Yu III, co-editor of the book, reflected on the motivations behind Negotiations from the Front Lines as a collective effort to preserve the experiences of Philippine climate negotiators. He stressed that the country’s “fingerprints” can be found throughout various international agreements, including the UNFCCC, the Kyoto Protocol, and the Paris Agreement.

Atty. Cecilia Therese Guiao, co-editor of the book and Head Legal Officer of the Institute for International Legal Studies, unveiled access to the publication. Through her remarks, she recalled taking part in the negotiations on the drafting of the Paris Agreement and emphasized the importance of mentorship to budding climate negotiators. She then concluded by launching the book’s online edition and announced that the book’s printed edition will be available soon.

The full ebook may be accessed through this link: https://bit.ly/NegotiationsfromtheFrontlines

Those interested in obtaining a hard copy of the book once it is published may fill out this form: http://bit.ly/NegotiationsHardCopy

22/07/2026

The Institute of International Legal Studies (IILS) of the University of the Philippines Law Center (UPLC), together with the Forum on Trade, Environment & the SDGs (TESS) and the Permanent Mission of the Philippines to the World Trade Organization (WTO), hosted the 2nd High-Level Roundtable on Trade, Climate, and Sustainable Development: Towards a Trade-Related Climate Strategy for a Climate-Resilient Philippines.

The roundtable discussion was held last July 09, 2026, at the 2F Conference Room in Bocobo Hall, UP Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City and was attended by over 90 representatives from key government agencies, including the Department of Energy (DOE), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Climate Change Commission, Department of Foreign Affairs, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Agriculture, Department of Tourism, Department of Labor and Employment, Energy Regulatory Commission, Board of Investments, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, members of civil society, the business sector, academia, and development partners.

The discussion began with opening remarks from Dean Gwen Grecia-De Vera of the UP College of Law, Ms. Yasmin Ismail of TESS, and His Excellency Manuel Teehankee, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the WTO. This was followed by a series of introductory remarks from heads of government agencies, including Sec. Sharon Garin of the DOE and Sec. Juan Miguel Cuna of the DENR.

The event proper began with a presentation by Atty. Vicente Paolo Yu III on the draft Strategy Paper on the Philippines Trade-Climate Policy. The roundtable discussion was then divided into 6 sessions, gathering perspectives from various sectors and approaches from speakers, reactors, and participants. The sessions were moderated by Comm. Johannes Bernabe and Atty. Cecilia Therese Guiao and included discussions on the following areas: Trade Considerations in NDC 3.0 and NAP Implementation and Navigating Institutional Alignment, Energy Sector and Clean Technology, Agriculture, Fisheries, and Agri-food, Electronics and Export Compliance Readiness’, Cultural, Creative, and Sustainability Services, and International and Regional Cooperation and the Role of Multilateralism in the Changing Global Order.

To end the program, Ms. Yasmin Ismail shared that the discussions across the various sectors show how the interest in developing a Strategy Paper on Trade-Climate Policy for the Philippines extends beyond mere compliance efforts to a paper that reflects the shared regard for competitiveness, diversification, economic resilience, economic security and sustainable development for the people. She thanked the various stakeholders for their input and perspectives, which will be further incorporated into future iterations of the Strategy Paper. Ambassador Teehankee lauded the second roundtable discussion as bringing about a substantive exchange that is a big leap from the first discussion held last year. He looks forward to the final version of the Strategy Paper, noting that several key government agencies expressed their intention to adopt several recommendations presented by the paper.

The event was hosted by Atty. Jurella Guiahara D. Santos, Law Reform Specialist of the Institute of International Legal Studies.

11/07/2026

The UP Institute of International Legal Studies is proud to celebrate our Junior Legal Officer, Ms. Elma Latayan, and Research Assistants, Ms. Patricia Somera and Mr. Mackie Valenzuela, who are graduating with the Class of 2026!

Your passion, excellence, and tireless contributions to the Institute have inspired us all, and we cheer you on in your future chapters.

The future of international law is brighter because of you! Congratulations, Class of 2026! 🎉

09/07/2026

See you TOMORROW!

Join us in the book launch of “Negotiations from the Frontlines: Perspectives of Filipino Negotiators in Global Climate Governance," a compilation of essays on the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), written by Filipinos who have played significant roles in multilateral climate change science, policymaking, and negotiations over the past three decades.

The event will be held tomorrow, July 10, 2026, from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM (PHT) at Bocobo Hall, UP Law Center, Quezon City.

If you are interested in attending, you may indicate your interest by answering this form: https://bit.ly/NegotiationsLaunch

Note: Registration on the day of the event opens at 9:30 AM