Centre for International Policy Research/ Department of Politics,
University of Sheffield, 18th – 19th September 2007 / The “War on Terror” (WOT) has permeated all aspects of contemporary international relations and catalysed a reconceptualisation of many key theoretical frameworks, political actors and modes of behaviour.Current events have sparked a renewed and burgeoning academic interest in terrorism primarily focused on the new asymmetric threat. What remains a crucial yet under assessed area are the rapid changes occurring within the more structural forms of the international order. The nature of the state has undergone a significant re-evaluation with many central tenets of statehood challenged by WOT’s radical agenda. This conference seeks to analyse this challenge through an enquiry into those significant intra-state, inter-state and international issues that contrive to alter our understanding of the role and nature of the contemporary state. 

This conference will address first the changes to the domestic competencies vested in the state and manner in which the terrorist threat has altered the dynamics of the state-citizen relationship and the nature of the social contract. Secondly the conference will analyse the WOT’s impact on inter-state relations and assess the implications of the increasing dissonance caused by President Bush’s ‘with us or against us’ decree. Finally papers will analyse international developments related to state sovereignty, international organisations and international law in order to identify emerging trends of importance to the state.

This conference will address these fundamental questions and shed new light on the actions and role of states in the WOT. By bringing together scholars in the fields of Law and Politics, this conference will further understanding of how the WOT has unfolded across the multiple levels of global security – within, between and across states.


 
Conference Programme
18th September 2007

8:30 – 9:15 Conference Registration

9:30 – 10:30 Keynote Address: Professor Paul Wilkinson, University of St Andrews (TBC)

10:30 – 11:00 Tea/Coffee

11:00- 12: 30 Panel I: Intra-State Developments
•    Civil Society and Counter Terrorism: Dr Jerone Gunning, Aberystwyth University
•    Counter Terrorism or Counter Insurgency?: Andrew Mumford, University of Sheffield
•    Civil Rights and the State Security: Dr Ruth Blakeley, University of Kent

12:30 – 2:00 Lunch

2:00 – 3:30 Panel II: Inter-State Relations
•    Failed States and the War on Terror: Dr Aidan Hehir, University of Sheffield
•    The Changing Nature of Self Defence: Professor James Gow, KCL
•    Democracy Promotion and US Foreign Policy: Dr Michael Boyle, University of St Andrews

3:30 – 4:00 Tea/Coffee

4:00 – 5:30 Panel III: International Trends and Challenges
•    What Role for the UN?: Professor Paul Taylor, LSE (TBC)
•    The Challenge to Sovereignty: Anthony Richards, University of St Andrews (TBC)
•    International Law and the War on Terror: Professor Nigel White, Department of Law, University of Sheffield

20:00 Conference Dinner

19th September
9:30 – 10:30 Keynote Address: TBC

10:30 – 11:00 Tea/coffee

11:00 – 12:30 Roundtable discussion: ‘The State and the War on Terror’

12:30 – 1:30 Lunch