Description
Conflict at Sea
Seoul, Republic of Korea | 8-9 June 2026 The Stockton Center for International Law, in partnership with the Korea Institute for Maritime Strategy (KIMS), hosted the 8th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference, Conflict at Sea, in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on 8-9 June 2026. The conference brought together military leaders, government officials, legal advisers, policymakers, and scholars to examine emerging challenges in maritime security and international law.
The conference attracted approximately 80 participants, including 40 registrants and 40 speakers, representing 10 countries, with significant participation from the Republic of Korea Navy and regional maritime-security stakeholders. Holding the conference in the Indo-Pacific enabled broader regional participation and strengthened engagement with allied and partner nations.
Discussions focused on a range of contemporary maritime-security issues, including gray-zone competition, maritime sanctions enforcement, critical undersea infrastructure, deep seabed mining, emerging technologies, and the evolving character of conflict at sea. Participants examined how strategic competition increasingly unfolds below the threshold of armed conflict and assessed the implications for international law, deterrence, and maritime governance. Discussions also highlighted the deliberate use of legal ambiguity as a tool of strategic competition, the rapid pace of technological change relative to legal and regulatory frameworks, and the growing importance of allied cooperation in sustaining maritime order and enforcing international norms.
The conference emphasized the continuing importance of education and professional development in the law of naval warfare. Attendees underscored the need for commanders, legal advisers, and multinational staffs to develop a common understanding of the legal framework governing maritime operations in increasingly complex coalition environments.
The 8th Annual Cushing Conference advanced scholarship on maritime security and international law, strengthened professional relationships among allies and partners, and reinforced the Stockton Center's role as a leading forum for discussion of contemporary maritime-security challenges. Selected conference findings and presentations will be published as a special International Law Studies volume, extending the conference's contribution to the development of international maritime law and policy.
Publication Date
9-18-2026
Publisher
The Stockton Center for International Law
City
Newport, Rhode Island
Keywords
U.S. Naval War College, Stockton Center for International Law, International Law, Security
Recommended Citation
for International Law, Stockton Center, "8th Annual Alexander C. Cushing International Law Conference" (2026). Cushing International Law Conference. 6.
https://digital-commons.usnwc.edu/cushing-conference/6
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