Indian Council of World Affairs

A Centre for International Law has been established in the Indian Council of World Affairs in August 2025 with the objective of bringing focus on issues pertaining to International Law in all areas of ICWA’s work ranging from seminars, discussions, dialogues, research and publications.

The key objectives of the ICWA Centre for International Law would be:

(i)   to formulate and promote an Indian view of International Law and   related global, regional and national norm-setting; and

(ii) to build a normative agenda based on the civilizational values of India pertaining to international relations, diplomacy and statecraft.

The Centre will strive to build a discourse and narratives based on these key objectives and in support of approaches that India should adopt in international and regional norm-setting bodies with implications for national legislative and implementation frameworks.

Areas of focus would include laws and norms governing inter-State relations, State responsibility & State behaviour, norms pertaining to diplomatic practice, normative agenda of multilateral/plurilateral forums and International Organizations, dispensation of justice pertaining to International Law at all levels, social contracts, gender empowerment & gender relations, crime, and International Law for a world in transition.

The Centre will also focus on the special requirements of developing countries of the Global South as regards their participation and capacity building in the making of International Law and its implementation at the national level in accordance with their unique politico-socio-economic settings.

The Centre is headed by Ms. Uma Shekhar, Adviser (International Law), ICWA and former Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India.

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