Introduction: The long-awaited change in the making
Following in the footsteps of most recent calls by African legal scholars, in this blog I share my own reflections on what should be some of the most essential elements of an “Afrocentric future” of international law. This cannot be done without acknowledging the long-standing research agenda of Third World Approaches to International Law (TWAIL) and its preoccupation with democratising processes of knowledge production on the study of international law. I underscore that epistemology, the science of “human knowledge,” as broadly understood, is a very essential conceptual tool in deconstructing outdated processes of knowledge production in the study of international law. This requires asking hard-hitting questions such as: how has legal knowledge thus far been produced, by whom, based on which epistemic modalities and using which dissemination methods? These questions fundamentally relate to how we know about the things we know, so to speak, how we know about international law. Thus, they also relate to how teaching, research, and academic publishing about international law need to be done. Thus far, it has been done through lopsided epistemological processes that are disproportionately Eurocentric, as if there are no valid epistemic parameters of other sorts. Of late, however, the long-standing call to democratise processes of knowledge production is gaining traction, as seen in some newly initiated academic conversations and/or “centres of excellence” in Europe. A few of them deserve a brief discussion.
A new “academic turn” in Europe
In September 2025, the European Society of International Law (ESIL) organised its flagship annual conference under the thematic focus of “reconstructing international law.” The Society has also initiated a new Interest Group on “Critical Approaches to International Law.” About the same time, the Humboldt University of Berlin established a new centre of excellence (RefLex), focused on a renewed and better understanding of colonial legacies of international law. For International Refugee Law (IRL) in particular, the 2025 theme of IMISCOE’s annual conference was most illustrative (“decentring migration studies”), IMISCOE being the largest academic association on “migration studies” globally. The establishment of the Chair in African Legal Studies at Bayreuth University some years back, although with a slightly different focus, could also be taken as another pertinent example. These recent developments in mainstream European academic circles (a few examples known to me) are indicative of a new “academic turn,” characterised by an increased interest in decolonising legal education, particularly related to the teaching of international law. As promising as they are, they need to encourage increased contributions from Global South scholars. Through this prism, I also try to imagine the role that African legal scholars (particularly those based in Europe) can play in this emerging academic turn. Concurrently, I reflect on what should be the imagined key elements of an “Afrocentric future” of international law. In my view, this must include at its centre what is known as “the evolving norm of African Union Law (AUL).”
Imagining the contribution of AUL to international law
The evolving norm of AUL has something to offer to a reimagined future of international law. For clarity, it can be defined as the continental body of treaties, resolutions and decisions that have direct and indirect application to the Member States of the AU. Its approach to forced displacement, which is quite innovative, offers helpful insights into the global approach to forced displacement. The latter has been primarily envisioned in the context of the 1951 Refugee Convention, whose shortcomings are adequately scrutinised in relevant academic literature. In contrast, with its broader definition of a “refugee,” provided by Article 1(2) of the 1969 OAU Convention on Refugees, and the only binding treaty on internal displacement, the 2009 Kampala Convention, the evolving norm of AUL on forced displacement has indeed the potential to present itself as a fundamental element of “an Afrocentric future” in international law. Admittedly, this depends on a lot of homework Africa has to do in narrowing the glaring gap between a “bold normative ambition” and a huge deficit of implementation. This shall be part and parcel of the long-term aim of an “Afrocentric future” of international law. It is also about reimagining the teaching of international law not only as an “antiracist endeavour” but also as an emancipatory pedagogy.
The role of “intellectual activism”
In all of this, intellectual activism also plays a very crucial role. My comment in this regard is targeted mainly at African legal scholars with a solid presence in mainstream European academic circles and the role they are expected to play. If they want to remain fit for purpose in the long-term agenda of rethinking international law, they need to position themselves appropriately in consequential terms so that their impact can be seen and felt in major knowledge production processes on the study of international law. This presupposes willingness to go beyond the “comfort” of teaching zones and embark on real-life sojourns of advocacy that shall include playing proactive roles in major international forums and processes related to agenda-setting about the future of international law. This is not to hint that they are doing nothing, but rather to emphasise the importance of coalescence of efforts. Their effort will stand a better chance of success if it were to be implemented by aligning integrated visions for change – in such a way that every small step taken triggers ripple effects beyond its specific domain of influence. This is what intellectual activism requires: the utilisation of academic knowledge to ensure social justice and influence public debate. Progressive scholars need to position themselves as thought leaders not just in academic circles but also in various forums and platforms that are helpful in spreading the influence of their thought leadership. An “Afrocentric future” of international law is already on the horizon.
