III INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DEMOCRACY AND CONSTITUTIONALISM

Democracy Beyond Consensus: Constitutionalism, Power and Plural Futures in a Fragmented World

29–30 October 2026
Brasília Time, UTC-3
International Conference and Call for Abstracts

1. From an International Conference to a Research Network

The International Conference on Democracy and Constitutionalism reaches its third edition in 2026 as a continuing space for international academic dialogue on the transformations affecting democracy, constitutionalism, the rule of law and the institutional organisation of power.

The Conference was established in 2024 from a concern that remains fundamental: constitutional democracy cannot be adequately understood through the isolated examination of constitutions, courts or electoral institutions. Democratic stability depends upon interactions among political institutions, social structures, technological transformations, economic inequalities, environmental pressures, international relations and competing conceptions of legitimacy.

The first edition, held on 24 and 25 September 2024, placed these problems within a broad comparative framework. Its programme addressed authoritarianism, democratic deterioration, populism, political fragmentation, the disruptive effects of technology and social media, inequality, climate change, sustainability and the relationship between development and democratic institutions. The Conference explicitly sought to bring together scholars, policymakers and civil society around the challenge of preserving and renewing constitutional democracy under contemporary pressures.

Its international composition was already significant. Scholars and practitioners from Latin America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and other regions examined themes ranging from democratic self-defence and minority representation to artificial intelligence, media freedom, climate change, participatory democracy, international rule of law and different conceptions of democratic participation. The resulting intellectual diversity established an important premise that continues to guide the Conference: democracy and constitutionalism must be discussed comparatively and across different legal, political and cultural traditions.

The second edition, held on 2 and 3 October 2025, advanced this agenda by moving from the diagnosis of democratic pressures toward the governance of interconnected risks. Under the theme “Constitutionalism under Polycrisis: Reasonableness, Participation, and Systemic Risk Governance for Sustainable Democracies,” the Conference examined how climate disruption, geopolitical conflicts, energy and food insecurity, cyber risks and technological transformations interact across jurisdictions and institutional domains.

The internationalisation of the initiative also became more visible. The 2025 programme brought together 26 speakers from 14 countries, including Brazil, Pakistan, Spain, Türkiye, China, Argentina, Chile, Egypt, Greece, India, Paraguay and Poland, among others. Its discussions encompassed multipolarity, deliberative democracy, human rights, climate constitutionalism, artificial intelligence, digital democracy, Global South perspectives, minority rights, corporate governance and multilevel governance.

This development is more than numerical growth.

Across its successive editions, the Conference has gradually constituted a network of dialogue among researchers working from different constitutional experiences, disciplinary traditions and geopolitical locations. Participants are not invited merely to reproduce established categories within different national settings. The purpose is to place those categories themselves under comparative examination.

A network perspective is especially important because contemporary constitutional problems increasingly escape territorial and disciplinary boundaries. Decisions concerning digital infrastructures, climate change, artificial intelligence, migration, economic governance, geopolitical conflict or critical technologies are produced through interactions among states, courts, international organisations, corporations, research communities and transnational regulatory structures.

Democratic accountability, however, remains largely organised within national constitutional systems.

The resulting tension is increasingly significant: power operates through networks while constitutional responsibility remains fragmented among institutions and jurisdictions.

The Conference therefore understands international academic cooperation not as an accessory to constitutional scholarship, but as part of its methodology. Comparative dialogue makes it possible to identify convergences without erasing differences, to question the presumed universality of particular institutional experiences and to examine alternative constitutional responses without romanticising them.

The progressive strengthening of the Conference consequently reflects the emergence of a research community rather than simply the repetition of an annual academic event.

The 2026 edition seeks to deepen this trajectory.

2. The 2026 Question

Democracy Beyond Consensus: Constitutionalism, Power and Plural Futures in a Fragmented World

The third edition begins from a different question.

The previous Conferences examined threats to constitutional democracy and subsequently the institutional capacity to govern systemic and interconnected crises. The 2026 Conference moves one level deeper:

What happens when disagreement concerns not only particular policies or constitutional interpretations, but the meaning of democracy, constitutionalism, sovereignty, rights and legitimate political authority themselves?

Contemporary international society is characterised simultaneously by geopolitical multipolarity, technological transformation, environmental instability, economic interdependence, social fragmentation and competing normative projects.

The traditional assumption that constitutional democracies would progressively converge around a relatively stable institutional model has consequently become increasingly difficult to sustain.

This does not imply abandoning constitutional democracy.

It requires examining its foundations more carefully.

The relevant question is therefore no longer simply how democracy can survive crises. It is also necessary to investigate which forms of democratic authority can remain legitimate when political communities disagree about the institutions, values and epistemic premises through which democracy itself is defined.

The title Democracy Beyond Consensus describes this analytical problem.

“Beyond consensus” does not mean democracy without dialogue, rights or institutional constraints. Nor does it imply equivalence between democratic and authoritarian arrangements.

It indicates instead that constitutional theory must confront persistent normative disagreement and competing political experiences without presuming beforehand that one institutional trajectory exhausts the possibilities of democratic organisation.

The 2026 Conference therefore invites researchers to investigate democracy and constitutionalism through six interconnected axes.

3. THEMATIC AXES

AXIS I

Democracy after Consensus: Representation, Legitimacy and Political Pluralism

This axis examines transformations in democratic legitimacy and political representation.

Contributions may address representative, participatory, deliberative, social, republican and other traditions of democracy; political polarisation; populism; democratic backsliding; constitutional identity; minority representation; political parties; electoral systems; democratic self-defence; political participation and the changing relationship between citizens and institutions.

Particular attention is encouraged to research questioning whether disagreement itself should be understood exclusively as a democratic pathology or also as a permanent condition of plural constitutional societies.

AXIS II

Constitutionalism in a Multipolar World: Global South, Comparative Experiences and Competing Normative Orders

This axis examines constitutionalism within a changing distribution of international power.

It welcomes research concerning the Global South, BRICS+, Latin America, Africa, Asia, Europe and other regions; South-South cooperation; constitutional pluralism; international institutions; alternative conceptions of democracy; decolonial approaches; comparative constitutionalism and reform of global governance.

The objective is neither to reproduce a single constitutional model as universally applicable nor to romanticise political arrangements merely because they originate outside dominant traditions.

Instead, the axis encourages rigorous comparison of institutions, practices and normative claims according to their historical contexts and their consequences for participation, rights, accountability and political legitimacy.

AXIS III

Artificial Intelligence, Technology and Constitutional Power

Digital technologies no longer operate exclusively as instruments subjected to constitutional regulation. Increasingly, technological infrastructures participate directly in the organisation and distribution of social and political power.

This axis invites research on artificial intelligence, algorithmic governance, generative and agentic AI, automated public decision-making, platforms, deepfakes, recommender systems, data governance, surveillance, digital sovereignty, cybersecurity and technological infrastructures.

A central question concerns whether technological systems increasingly exercise functions historically associated with constitutional power by influencing visibility, access to information, public discourse, administrative decisions and opportunities for political participation.

AXIS IV

Constitutionalism under Permanent Risk: Climate, Conflict, Emergency and Future Generations

The distinction between ordinary constitutional governance and exceptional crisis governance is increasingly unstable.

Climate emergencies, armed conflicts, pandemics, technological disruptions, cyber threats, migration, disasters and economic shocks can generate prolonged forms of emergency decision-making.

This axis welcomes research concerning systemic risks, emergency powers, climate constitutionalism, environmental justice, disaster governance, peace and conflict, human security, intergenerational justice and institutional responses to uncertainty.

Particular attention may be given to the constitutional problem created when temporary emergency arrangements progressively become ordinary techniques of governance.

AXIS V

Fragmented Authority: Courts, International Institutions, Corporations and Networks

Contemporary governance increasingly involves authority distributed among actors that do not fit easily within classical constitutional categories.

National governments interact with constitutional and international courts, regulatory agencies, international organisations, corporations, digital platforms, financial institutions, scientific communities and transnational networks.

This axis investigates accountability under conditions of fragmented authority.

Suggested subjects include judicial review, constitutional jurisdiction, international adjudication, multilevel governance, corporate power, transnational regulation, human rights, global administrative structures and institutional responsibility.

A particularly relevant problem is the possibility that governance becomes increasingly interconnected while responsibility becomes increasingly difficult to identify.

AXIS VI

Reimagining Democratic Futures: Constitutional Innovation, Long-Term Governance and the Global Commons

Democratic institutions must increasingly make decisions whose consequences extend beyond electoral cycles and, frequently, beyond territorial borders.

This final axis invites contributions concerning future generations, constitutional innovation, institutional experimentation, democratic foresight, global commons, outer-space governance, critical infrastructures, biotechnology, climate governance and new mechanisms of citizen participation.

It also encourages a broader question:

Can constitutional democracy develop institutions capable of representing interests, persons and risks that are politically significant but insufficiently represented by existing electoral mechanisms?

4. CALL FOR ABSTRACTS

The III International Conference on Democracy and Constitutionalism invites scholars, researchers, professors, doctoral and master's candidates, legal professionals, policymakers and members of research institutions to submit proposals for presentation within one of the six thematic axes.

Proposals should contribute to the international and comparative character of the Conference and may adopt doctrinal, theoretical, empirical, interdisciplinary or comparative methodologies.

Critical approaches are particularly welcome when supported by clearly identifiable theoretical or empirical foundations.

The Conference encourages submissions that:

• compare constitutional or democratic experiences across jurisdictions;
• connect constitutional law with political science, international relations, technology, environmental studies, economics or other relevant disciplines;
• analyse experiences and theoretical contributions originating in the Global South;
• question established categories or measurements of democracy and constitutionalism;
• investigate emerging forms of public or private power;
• identify institutional innovations capable of strengthening democratic accountability.

Abstracts should clearly indicate the research problem, objective, methodological approach and principal argument or expected findings.

Suggested abstract length: 300–500 words.

Languages: English, Portuguese or Spanish.

Presentations may be delivered in any of these languages.

Each accepted contribution will receive 15 minutes for presentation.

Every sub-session will conclude with 15 minutes of collective discussion, encouraging dialogue among speakers and participants rather than isolated sequential presentations.

The Scientific Committee may relocate a proposal to another thematic axis when this improves thematic coherence.

III INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON DEMOCRACY AND CONSTITUTIONALISM

Democracy Beyond Consensus: Constitutionalism, Power and Plural Futures in a Fragmented World

29–30 October 2026
Online International Conference
Brasília Time — UTC-3

DAY ONE

THURSDAY, 29 OCTOBER 2026

09:00–09:40

OPENING SESSION

III International Conference on Democracy and Constitutionalism

Institutional welcome and opening remarks.

Presentation of the Conference, its international network and the central theme of the 2026 edition:

Democracy Beyond Consensus: Constitutionalism, Power and Plural Futures in a Fragmented World

Opening participants:
            

Cássius Guimarães Chai

Sérgio Neira-Penã

Jędrzej Skrzypczak
Anju Gupta

09:40–09:50

Transition / Short Break

09:50–12:00

SESSION I

Constitutionalism in a Multipolar World: Participation, Responsibility and Global Commons

This session examines constitutionalism beyond the traditional state-centred model, connecting comparative constitutional experiences, public participation, international responsibility, fiscal governance, environmental protection, intergenerational justice and the governance of global commons.

Moderator: CARLA NOURA TEIXEIRA

09:50–10:10

Beyond Formal Rights: Fiscal Governance and the Search for Substantive Constitutionalism in Latin America and China

Maria Francesca Staiano

Discussion focus: Substantive constitutionalism, fiscal governance, human rights, political legitimacy and comparative perspectives between Latin America and China.

10:10–10:30

Public Participation, Prosecutorial Accountability and Human Rights: The People’s Supervisors System in China

Bo Yi

Discussion focus: Public participation, prosecutorial accountability, human rights protection and institutional experiences of democratic participation.

10:30–10:50

La responsabilidad de los Estados en medio del desorden internacional: en materia de derechos ambientales y pueblos indígenas

Krupskaya Rosa Luz Ugarte Boluarte

Discussion focus: International responsibility of States, environmental rights, Indigenous peoples and accountability under conditions of fragmented global governance.

10:50–11:10

Orbital Debris and the Democratic Representation of Future Generations

Francisco Campos da Costa

Discussion focus: Intergenerational justice, democratic representation, institutional foresight, outer-space governance and global commons.

11:10–11:50

COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION

Constitutional Responsibility Beyond Borders: Participation, Global South Perspectives and the Governance of Shared Futures

Suggested guiding questions:

• How does constitutional responsibility operate when political and economic power exceeds national borders?

• How can different institutional models of participation be compared without presupposing a single democratic template?

• How should responsibility be distributed when constitutional harms are transnational or intergenerational?

• What contributions can Global South experiences make to general constitutional theory?

• Can fiscal governance, prosecutorial accountability, environmental responsibility and outer-space governance be understood through a common framework of fragmented authority?

11:50–12:00

SESSION SYNTHESIS

From State-Centred Constitutionalism to Networked Constitutional Responsibility

15:00–17:00

SESSION II

Democracy after Consensus: Representation, Participation and Constitutional Legitimacy

This session examines transformations in the foundations of democratic legitimacy, focusing on contested constitutional concepts, political participation, electoral representation, accessibility and the relationship between constitutional and international human rights standards.

Moderator: FURQAN AHMED

15:00–15:20

Separation of Powers as an Essentially Contested Concept: Between Constitutionalism and Democracy

Oscar Pérez de la Fuente

Discussion focus: Separation of powers, constitutionalism, democracy, judicial independence and the counter-majoritarian problem.

15:20–15:40

Cyberdemocracy and Accessibility: Equal Political Participation from a Feminist Disability Perspective

Reginaldo de Souza Vieira & Priscylla Alves Piucco

Discussion focus: Cyberdemocracy, equal political participation, accessibility, gender and the political inclusion of women with disabilities.

15:40–16:00

Candidaturas Independientes y Control de Convencionalidad en Brasil: el Tema 974 del STF a la Luz del Artículo 23 de la Convención Americana sobre Derechos Humanos

Luis Filipe Maia

Discussion focus: Independent candidacies, political rights, constitutional adjudication and conventionality control under the American Convention on Human Rights.

16:00–16:40

COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION

Representation Beyond Formality: Participation, Rights and Democratic Legitimacy

Suggested guiding questions:

• Which institutions remain capable of legitimising political power under conditions of profound disagreement?

• Is separation of powers a stable constitutional principle or a historically contested institutional arrangement?

• How can democratic participation become substantively accessible rather than merely formally available?

• To what extent can international human rights law reshape domestic electoral institutions?

• What does democratic inclusion require beyond traditional political representation?

16:40–17:00

SESSION SYNTHESIS

Who Represents, Who Participates, Who Decides?

Concluding reflections on representation, accessibility, political rights and constitutional legitimacy.

DAY TWO

FRIDAY, 30 OCTOBER 2026

09:00–11:00

SESSION III

Artificial Intelligence, Algorithmic Power and Constitutional Authority

The final academic session examines the transformation of constitutional authority through artificial intelligence and algorithmic infrastructures.

Rather than approaching artificial intelligence solely as an object of regulation, the session asks whether technological systems increasingly participate in the production, distribution and exercise of political and normative power.

Moderator: VITOR HUGO SOUZA MORAES

09:00–09:20

When Design Becomes Authority: Artificial Intelligence, Depoliticisation and Democratic Legitimacy beyond Consensus

Sumeyye Nur Mete

Discussion focus: Algorithmic power, critical theory of technology, depoliticisation, digital constitutionalism and democratic legitimacy.

09:20–09:40

Democracy and the Rule of Law at the International Level: Artificial Intelligence

Sergio Peña-Neira

Discussion focus: Artificial intelligence, international rule of law, human rights and democratic governance beyond national jurisdictions.

09:40–10:00

Algorithmic Sovereignty and the Monopoly of Force: Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems in a Fragmented Global Order

Carmelo Cattafi

Discussion focus: Algorithmic sovereignty, autonomous weapons systems, international humanitarian law, accountability and meaningful human control.

10:00–10:40

COLLECTIVE DISCUSSION

From AI Regulation to Algorithmic Constitutional Power

Suggested guiding questions:

• When does technological design become an exercise of political authority?

• Can constitutional legitimacy be preserved when significant decisions are delegated to algorithmic systems?

• Who is accountable when AI-generated decisions operate across jurisdictions?

• Does autonomous decision-making challenge the traditional constitutional monopoly over legitimate coercive force?

• Should constitutional theory conceptualise algorithmic infrastructures as emerging sites of power?

10:40–11:00

CROSS-SESSION SYNTHESIS

Democracy Beyond Consensus: Constitutionalism, Power and Plural Futures

Connecting the three academic sessions:

Session I — Where does constitutional responsibility lie?

Fragmented authority, comparative constitutionalism, international responsibility and shared futures.

Session II — Who legitimately participates in and exercises political power?

Representation, political participation, accessibility and democratic legitimacy.

Session III — How is power itself being transformed?

Artificial intelligence, algorithmic authority, technological sovereignty and autonomous decision-making.

The three sessions converge around a common problem:

How can constitutional democracy remain legitimate when authority is simultaneously fragmented across jurisdictions, contested within political communities and increasingly mediated by technological systems?

11:00–12:00

CLOSING SESSION

III International Conference on Democracy and Constitutionalism

Closing reflections and institutional remarks.

The session will include:

• synthesis of the principal discussions of the Conference;

• reflections from the Conference coordinators and international partners;

• strengthening of the International Conference on Democracy and Constitutionalism research network;

• presentation of the publication project arising from the Conference;

• information concerning the two edited volumes:

7. A CONTINUING INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH AGENDA

The III International Conference on Democracy and Constitutionalism should therefore be understood as both an event and a continuing research environment.

Its first edition asked how constitutional democracy could respond to contemporary threats.

Its second edition investigated how democratic institutions could govern interconnected systemic risks.

Its third edition asks a more fundamental question:

How can constitutional democracy remain legitimate in a world characterised by plural political experiences, fragmented authority, technological power, systemic risks and competing understandings of global order?

The progression may be summarised as:

2024 — Defending Constitutional Democracy

2025 — Governing Constitutional Democracy under Polycrisis

2026 — Rethinking Constitutional Democracy in a Fragmented and Multipolar World

The Conference does not seek an artificial consensus among these perspectives.

Its purpose is to create the conditions for rigorous disagreement, comparative inquiry and sustained international cooperation.

The strength of an international research network lies precisely in its capacity to place different experiences into dialogue without suppressing their differences.

As the Conference enters its third edition, its central commitment remains therefore unchanged but increasingly necessary: to understand constitutional democracy not as a completed institutional formula, but as an ongoing problem of rights, power, responsibility and legitimate collective self-government.

Publication Opportunity
Authors whose papers are presented at the III International Conference on Democracy and Constitutionalism will be invited to submit a complete manuscript of up to 7,000 words for consideration for publication. Manuscripts must be written in English or Spanish and follow APA 7th edition. Selected contributions will be organised into two edited volumes, one in English and one in Spanish. The deadline for submission of complete papers is 15 April 2027. Submission does not guarantee publication, and all manuscripts will be subject to scientific and editorial review.