On May 16, 2025, the FGV Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on EU–South America Global Governance, co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme, in partnership with the FGV Centre for Global Law (CPDG), hosted an In-house Research Seminar entitled From International Legal Order to “Geolegal Orders”: The Politics of “Multipolarity” in International Law, presented by Professor Malcolm Jorgensen.

Drawing on insights from international law and foreign policy analysis, Professor Jorgensen examined how international legal discourse is constructed through political framing and strategic narratives. In the first part of the seminar, he explored how legal arguments are shaped by broader political contexts, emphasizing the role of framing in defining legal problems, assigning meaning, and advancing competing interpretations of international law.

The second part of the presentation focused on the concept of multipolarity and its relationship with the contemporary international legal order. Professor Jorgensen argued that narratives of multipolarity, often articulated through civilizational perspectives, may reinforce geopolitical hierarchies rather than challenge them. To address these dynamics, he introduced the concept of “geolegal orders”, proposing a framework for understanding how international law is co-constituted by competing spheres of influence and evolving legal geographies.

The presentation was followed by a discussion with Lívia Rosas Lamour, researcher at the Centre for Global Law, and was moderated by Professor Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida, Director of the Centre for Global Law and of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence. The seminar concluded with an engaging Q&A session, during which students and researchers contributed perspectives from the Global South on multilateralism, international legal ordering, and the future of global governance.

The FGV Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence and the Centre for Global Law sincerely thank Professor Malcolm Jorgensen for his insightful contribution and for fostering a stimulating academic discussion.