The Base for International Law and ASEAN Legal Studies (BILALS) is pleased to announce the establishment of its new academic publication, the Journal of International Law and ASEAN Legal Studies (JILALS), as part of its continuing commitment to advancing research and scholarly discourse on international law and legal developments within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The Journal is scheduled to publish its inaugural issue in December 2026, marking an important milestone in BILALS’ efforts to strengthen academic engagement with the evolving legal landscape of Southeast Asia.
JILALS was established in response to the growing need for a dedicated scholarly platform that connects international law with the distinctive legal and institutional characteristics of ASEAN. While an increasing body of scholarship has examined ASEAN from political, economic, security, and regional perspectives, there remains considerable room for developing legal scholarship that specifically examines ASEAN within the broader framework of international law. This is particularly important because ASEAN has developed its own legal instruments, institutional arrangements, principles, and mechanisms that reflect the distinctive political, social, economic, and legal circumstances of Southeast Asia.
In welcoming the establishment of the Journal, the Director of BILALS emphasized the importance of strengthening research on international law and ASEAN:
“The publication of this Journal is an important step toward developing a stronger discourse on international law and ASEAN. Although a growing number of academic journals have discussed ASEAN, there remains a need for a publication that places particular emphasis on its legal dimensions and their relationship with international law. ASEAN should not simply be understood through the experience of other regional organizations, particularly the European Union. It possesses distinctive institutional and legal characteristics reflected in ASEAN instruments and practices. Developing international law scholarship within the ASEAN context therefore requires more research that can contribute meaningfully to the development of law and regional cooperation in Southeast Asia.”
Through JILALS, BILALS seeks to encourage critical, comparative, and interdisciplinary legal scholarship addressing contemporary developments in international law and ASEAN. The Journal welcomes research concerning, among others, public and private international law, ASEAN law and institutions, international human rights law, international environmental law, international economic law, international dispute settlement, international criminal law, law of the sea, regional integration, transnational legal issues, and emerging legal challenges affecting ASEAN and the wider international community.
The Journal is published twice a year, in June and December. Beginning in 2026, JILALS has established its dedicated online platform at https://www.journal-bilals.org/index.php/jilals/index, through which readers, researchers, and prospective authors can access information concerning the Journal and its publications. Manuscripts may be submitted through the Journal’s online submission system at https://www.journal-bilals.org/index.php/jilals/about/submissions.
JILALS welcomes contributions from a broad international scholarly and professional community. Academics, university students, researchers, legal practitioners, policymakers, and diplomats are encouraged to submit original research that contributes to the advancement of knowledge in international law and ASEAN legal studies. By bringing together perspectives from academia and professional practice, the Journal seeks to facilitate dialogue between legal theory, regional developments, and the practical challenges confronting ASEAN and its Member States.
The establishment of JILALS also represents a longer-term institutional commitment by BILALS to developing a reputable and internationally accessible academic publication. As the Journal expands its publication portfolio, JILALS will progressively strengthen its editorial governance, peer-review standards, publication quality, and academic visibility in preparation for future accreditation and inclusion in recognized national and international academic indexing systems.
Through the launch of the Journal of International Law and ASEAN Legal Studies, BILALS hopes to create a sustainable platform for scholars and practitioners to contribute ideas, legal analysis, and policy-oriented research relevant to Southeast Asia. More importantly, JILALS aspires to become a forum through which international law can be examined not merely as a body of global norms, but also through the distinctive experiences, challenges, and legal developments of ASEAN. The inaugural issue of JILALS will be published in December 2026. BILALS warmly invites scholars, researchers, practitioners, students, policymakers, and diplomats from Indonesia, ASEAN Member States, and the wider international community to contribute their research and become part of this developing scholarly platform.