The 8th Conference of the Association of Environmental Law Lecturers in Middle East and North African Universities (ASSELLMU)

Call for Papers 

ASSELLMU: 8th MENA Environmental Law and Policy Scholars’ Conference 

Theme: Environmental Law and Corporate Responsibility

Location: Princess Haya Auditorium, Alfaisal University
Dates: 25–26 January 2027

Description

The 8th MENA Environmental Law and Policy Scholars’ Conference (ASSELLMU Conference) convenes academics, educators, trainers, and practitioners to explore the role of corporate actors in advancing the teaching, research, practice, and implementation of environmental law and policy across the MENA region.

Past conferences have been sponsored by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), SADER Legal Publishing, ICELIS Global, with technical collaboration/partnership including the Rule of Law Programme MENA (Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung) and the UNESCO Chair on Environmental Law and Sustainable Development at Hamad Bin Khalifa University amongst other partners.

Why this conference matters

Environmental law implementation intersects with major sectors; health, water, energy, food, culture and tourism, clean technology, trade, green financial services, investment, and more; making integrated (“nexus”) approaches increasingly important.

As the 2030 SDG timeline approaches, the conference spotlights actionable ways corporate actors can support environmental law education and practice while strengthening environmental performance within their operations and supply chains.

Conference Themes

Panel discussions and workshops will address achievements and challenges in aligning corporate practices and industry guidelines with sustainability goals through interdisciplinary and practice-informed perspectives.

• Teaching & Practicing Environmental Law in the MENA Region: Resources and best practices for integrating corporate responsibility into environmental law education, policymaking, and practice, including CSR, just transitions, ethical procurement, green growth, and responsible investment.
• Environmental Law & Responsible Business Practices: Key agreements and global guidelines shaping environmental stewardship, supported by digital tools, due diligence, reporting, risk management, and responsible supply chains.
• Domestic & Regional Approaches: Latest developments in ESG standards, National Action Plans, multistakeholder approaches, and legal innovations related to SDG financing and implementation.
• Environmental Dispute Resolution: ADR and litigation pathways for business-related environmental disputes, and opportunities to advance access to justice (mediation, conciliation, arbitration, litigation).
• Environmental Law Education for SDG Implementation: Environmental law education, research institutes, and innovative teaching tools that strengthen legal and institutional capacity through practical and simulation-based learning.
• Practical Application: Capacity development gaps and needs within environmental law agencies and ministries, and strategies to address them.

Submission Email: dolawuyi@hbku.edu.qa

How to participate

Submit an abstract of 500–700 words that includes:

• Author’s name
• Institutional affiliation
• Contact details
• Concise overview of the subject matter and key critical questions
• Outline of the research methodology

Who should attend

We welcome academics and practitioners working on environmental law and policy, business management, responsible investment, sustainability governance, dispute resolution, and related fields; especially work offering lessons applicable to the MENA region.

Submissions may be comparative, regional, sub-regional, or country case studies, and may use interdisciplinary or empirical methods (a rigorous methodology is expected).

Key dates

• Abstract submission deadline: 15 July 2026
• Decision notifications (selected authors): on or before 15 September 2026
• Full draft due (accepted authors): 15 December 2026

• Publication outcome: selected papers will be published in a journal special issue or edited book.

Submission guidelines

Submissions must be original and not previously published or under review elsewhere. Authors are responsible for ensuring no infringement of intellectual property rights.

Funding (limited support)

Limited funding may be available to cover travel and accommodation. Please indicate in your submission whether you require funding and specify your place of departure.

News 2021

November 1-5: The 3rd ASSELLMU Conference and Workshop was held on November 1-5, 2021 at the College of Law, Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar. More information ( Al-Rayah; Qatar Tribune; Al-Arab; Lusail News; Gulf Times; OANA)

August 15:  New Publication Alert: ASSELLMU’s new book edited by Professor Olawuyi, Climate Change Law and Policy in the Middle East and North Africa Region (Routledge) is now available

April 26: A Special Issue on “Extractive Industries in the Middle East and North Africa Region,” and is now available in the Extractive Industries and Society Journal (Elsevier)

January 20: New Year, New Book: Professor Olawuyi unveils new book, Local Content and Sustainable Development in Global Energy Markets published by Cambridge University Press (The Nation Newspaper; Nigerian Lawyers News)

News 2020

Professor Olawuyi has received the 2020 Innovative Law Teaching Award, by LexisNexis Middle East & North Africa, at the annual Qatar Business Law Awards (Gulf Times; Qatar Peninsula News)

January 02, 2020: New Year New Book: Professor Olawuyi releases new co-edited book on Negotiating Enforceable Joint Operating Agreements in Civil Law Jurisdictions (Kluwer, 2020)

May 1:  Professor Olawuyi’s book chapter titled, Energy Poverty in the MENA Region: Divergent Tales and Future Prospects, has been published in the new book Energy Law and Energy Justice (Oxford University Press, 2020)

News 2019

New Article: Sustainable Development and the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Legal Challenges and Emerging Solutions and has been published in the Journal of Environmental Science and Policy (Elsevier)

Prof. Olawuyi releases article on Managing Regional Energy Security in an Era of Misinformation

News 2018

PUBLICATION UPDATE: The paperback edition of The Human Rights Based Approach to Carbon Finance (Cambridge University Press) is now available.

NEW PUBLICATION:  The new book: Extractives Industry Law in Africa (Springer, 2018), the first text to deal exclusively with the underpinning legal and governance regimes on extractive investments in Africa is now available.

LAUNCHING AND INNAGURATION OF ASSELLMU: ASSELLMU was formally inaugurated at a regional conference held at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Doha, Qatar on November 5, 2018. The conference featured the Director of the Law Division of the United Nations Environment Program, as well as other eminent speakers. More information here (IUCN; Gulf Times; Gulf Times (online); Al Sharq Al Arab; Booming Effects; Zawya)