On 2 May 2024, Research Associate Daniel Nicholas Pakpahan presented a paper titled “Sea-level rise and migration: Beyond the mainstream international law vocabulary” at the Trinity College Dublin Symposium on Climate Change and Migration. His paper, co-authored with CIL Visiting Research Fellow Rashmi Raman, called for the reframing of the international law discourse on migration and adaptation due to sea-level rise discourse, which is often accompanied by an outdated and potentially harmful use of the concept of “vulnerability” and leaves out historical and ongoing injustices. He presented on the first panel of the symposium themed “Framing the discourse on climate change and migration”.

The Symposium brought together scholars across disciplines, including law, geography, political science and sociology and was also attended by a representative from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). The Head of the School of law, Caoimhín Mac Maolain, delivered the opening remarks followed by keynote speeches of Zuzana Vatralova (Chief of Mission for IOM in Ireland) and Prof. Patrícia Galvão Teles (Member of UN International Law Commission, Professor of Autonomous University of Lisbon, and CIL Adjunct Snr Researcher).