Against the backdrop of the centrality of the notion of progress to international law discourse, the AjV-DGIR conference ‘Progress and International Law: A Cursed Relationship?’, which took place at the University of Cologne from 22 to 23 September 2023, and a related symposium on Völkerrechtsblog unpacked the unsettled relationship between progress and international law. In the tradition of its predecessors, the conference jointly convened by the Association of Young International Law Scholars (AjV) and the German Society of International Law (DGIR) brought together young and established international law scholars, the latter kindly agreeing to comment on the former’s papers and presentations.

As the outcome of the conference, this Special Issue intends to inspire a new scholarly debate on the notion of progress and its specific meaning in and link with international law. Creating a platform for different methodological and theoretical approaches, the Special Issue centres around three objectives. First, the Special Issue aims to conceptualise the notion of progress itself, unpacking its constitutive elements, setting it in relation to the dimension of time and linearity, and discussing possible features of progress in international law. Second, it critically reflects on the notion of progress in international law by questioning the analytical value of the concept and identifying the strategic agendas behind progress narratives. Third, the Special Issue aims to pinpoint where progress can be identified in international law and where international law is perceived as lagging behind states’ and societal expectations. In this respect, the Special Issue attempts to identify the factors that determine such a state of affairs and outline possible ways forward.