Call for Papers: Conference on ‘The European Union's External Action: EU-Values in Policy Making’ - CLOSED
Sabanci University, Istanbul, 1st-2nd of July 2025
EU-VALUES invites scholars, researchers, and professionals from around the world to submit proposals for presentations at our upcoming conference on The European Union's External Action: EU-Values in Policy Making.
The European Union (EU) has long positioned itself as a global advocate for human rights, embedding this commitment within its external action policies, as a part of EU Values. The Treaty on European Union (TEU) explicitly states that the Union's actions on the international stage shall be guided by the principles that inspired its own creation, including democracy, the rule of law, and the universality and indivisibility of human rights and fundamental freedoms. Through various mechanisms such as diplomatic engagement, trade policy, development cooperation, and other initiatives, the EU aims to ensure that human rights considerations remain integral to its external policies.
However, the practical implementation of these commitments faces significant challenges, particularly in light of geopolitical tensions, security concerns, migration pressures, energy needs, and evolving global governance structures. Moreover, the interplay between EU values and broader global values remains complex. While the EU champions a universalist approach to human rights, questions arise about how its principles align—or diverge—from regional perspectives, local governance traditions, and evolving norms in international relations.
The conference on The European Union's External Action: EU-Values in Policy Making aims to address critical questions and challenges in the EU’s promotion and protection of human rights beyond its borders. Adopting a comprehensive approach, the conference will provide a platform for rigorous academic dialogue, critical debate, and knowledge exchange on the role of the EU as a global human rights actor.
We welcome contributions from multiple disciplines, including political science, governance, law, sociology, international relations, and global governance.
Guiding Questions
We encourage submissions that address, but are not necessarily limited to, the following questions:
Human Rights and EU’s External Policy: How does the European Union integrate human rights considerations into its external relations policies?
Human Rights Protection and Trade Policy: How effective are current approaches, how can we explain their (in)effectiveness, and how can they be rendered more effective?
EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy: What is the legacy of these action plans, and how effective are they in guiding EU external action?
Role of EU Institutions, Bodies and Agencies: What role do EU institutions, bodies and agencies play in monitoring and enforcing human rights abroad? What mechanisms exist for holding EU institutions accountable for their human rights commitments in external action?
Human Rights, the EU and IOs: How does the EU address human rights issues in its relationships with international organizations? A specific focus can be placed on the role of the EU in the UN Human Rights Council and in the Third Committee of the UN General Assembly.
Human Rights, Civil Society Organizations and NGOs: What role do civil society organizations and NGOs play in influencing EU external human rights policy? How effective is the current EU regime on human rights defenders?
Human Rights-Based Approach (HRBA) to Development Cooperation: How effective is HRBA? What are the results of this approach? In which countries or contexts does an HRBA deliver human rights results? A key component of HRBA is empowering local communities and providing them with a voice in development cooperation projects. How is this achieved, and how does it alter development cooperation projects?
EU Human Rights Diplomacy and Special Representatives: What are the successes and challenges of the EU’s human rights diplomacy through EU Delegations? EU Special Representatives on Human Rights have been operational for almost two decades. How do successive special representatives compare in terms of their approaches? Can we identify different strategies, priorities, and methods they employ? How can we explain these differences? When are special representatives most effective? How do different power dynamics in the EU institutions affect their effectiveness? Would the EU be in need of more than one Special Representative in this area, with specific mandates for particular human rights issues?
Business and Human Rights - EU Human Rights Due Diligence Measures: How do EU human rights due diligence measures influence corporate accountability and responsible business conduct for companies outside the EU? How do other countries respond to these new obligations, and is there variation in how companies and governments react to these due diligence measures?
Comparative Perspectives: How does the EU’s approach compare with that of other global actors in human rights promotion? How do other global actors perceive the EU’s approach to human rights protection? What (unintended) consequences does the EU’s human rights policy have in its relations with other actors?
Human Rights, Artificial Intelligence, and Big Data: The emergence of artificial intelligence in global politics has direct implications for the EU’s ability to promote human rights and protect privacy. What are the major challenges that artificial intelligence poses to European values?
EU–Türkiye Relations on Human Rights: What are the limits of the EU’s ability to foster human rights reforms in countries like Türkiye?
Human Rights and Migration Deals: What are the implications of the EU’s migration policies for human rights, particularly for migrants from Africa and the Middle East.
Submission Guidelines
We invite submissions of original research papers from various disciplines, including European and international law, political science, sociology, and development studies. Submissions should align with the conference theme and contribute to the ongoing academic debate.
Abstracts should be between 250–300 words and include a title, research objectives, methodology, key findings, and relevance to the conference theme. Abstracts should be accompanied with a short bio of the author(s) and their institutional affiliation. Interested applicants should submit their abstracts via email to nihat.mugurtay@sabanciuniv.edu.
Dates
Abstract Submission Deadline: 30th March 2025 – 5 PM CET
Notification of Acceptance: 30th April 2025
Draft Paper Submission Deadline: 15th June 2025
Conference Dates: 1st – 2nd July 2025
Publication Opportunities
Selected papers will be considered for publication in a special journal issue or an edited volume compiled by the conference organizers. Further information will be provided during the conference.
Venue
The conference will be held at Sabanci University, Minerva Han, Istanbul close to the historic city center, with numerous hotels in the surrounding area. The conference organizers will provide catering for tea/coffee and refreshments during the conference. All other expenses, including travel and accommodation, will be the responsibility of the conference participants.
To download a PDF with information on this call, click here.
If you have any questions regarding the conference or need additional information, write to the EU-VALUES team at: euvalues@ibei.org, or the team at Sabanci University, nihat.mugurtay@sabanciuniv.edu.