Asian Cities and the International Legal Order 2.0: Urban Challenges and International Law in Asia

2–3 November 2026 | Yong Pung How School of Law, Singapore Management University

Programme

The International Law Association (ILA) Committee on Urbanisation and International Law – Potential & Pitfalls is pleased to co-host Asian Cities and the International Legal Order 2.0: Urban Challenges and International Law in Asia, together with Singapore Management University and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law.

As Asia continues to urbanise at an unprecedented pace, cities are increasingly at the forefront of some of the most pressing challenges addressed by international law and global governance. Environmental pressures, disaster risks, security concerns, housing and social inequalities, and the need for sustainable urban development all raise questions that extend beyond the boundaries of the city and the state.

Building on the first Asian Cities and the International Legal Order workshop held in July 2025, the 2026 edition will bring together scholars working at the intersection of international law, urban studies and global governance to explore how Asian cities interact with, respond to, and potentially reshape the international legal order.

The workshop will focus on three interconnected questions.

How are international legal norms interpreted and operationalised within Asia’s urban governance context?

Cities are indirectly bound by international legal obligations as an organ of state governments, but have been documented to go beyond this and take action in response to international legal developments in areas such as environmental protection and human rights. Yet little research examines cities in the Asian region in relation to this phenomenon.

How do Asian cities participate in and shape international organisations, regional institutions, and transnational governance networks in order to address urban challenges?

Much of the literature on cities and international law comes from a dominant European or United States perspective. However, some evidence suggests that Asian cities engage with transnational city networks differently, which requires further exploration.

To what extent are existing international legal frameworks adequate to address urban challenges faced by Asian cities?

While the topic of cities and international law has attracted much attention, the jury is still out as to whether their increasingly recognised international role has helped international law to more effectively address urban challenges such as sustainability, disaster risk management and poverty. The next step for the study of cities and international law will be to consider whether their involvement can lead to positive outcomes. Asian cities face many of these challenges and have the potential to be influential in how they are addressed going forward.

The workshop is co-hosted by the ILA Committee on Urbanisation and International Law – Potential & Pitfalls, Singapore Management University, and the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law, and forms part of the Committee's broader scholarly engagement with the relationship between cities and international law.