On May 8, the FGV Centre for Global Law (CPDG) and the FGV Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence on EU-LA Global Challenges (CEJM), co-funded by the European Union under the Erasmus+ Programme and both directed by Professor Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida, held an In-House Research Seminar dedicated to the development of the LATIN TALES research project.

The seminar featured presentations by CPDG researchers Lucas Vollers and Vitor Furtado De Melo, who presented the working paper Tales from Latin American States in Advisory Proceedings before the International Court of Justice (LATIN TALES): Socio-Legal Approaches to Individual Agency within Latin American Delegations, developed under the supervision of Professor Paula Wojcikiewicz Almeida, with the assistance of researchers João Felipe Terra, Paula Sant’Ana Strogoff, and Mitsu Parikh. The session explored a new dimension of the LATIN TALES project by examining the role of individual actors in shaping the narratives advanced by Latin American States before the International Court of Justice.

The paper introduced a socio-legal framework for analysing how individual agency influences the development of legal strategies in advisory proceedings concerning issues of community interest. Combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies, the research mapped the composition of Latin American delegations before the Court by examining variables such as professional background, nationality, and educational profile. By integrating these empirical findings with the existing socio-legal literature on international courts and tribunals, the study offers preliminary insights into how individual expertise and professional trajectories contribute to the formulation of State narratives in international litigation.

The seminar also benefited from the participation of Professor Luíza Leão Soares Pereira, of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, who joined the session as the invited discussant. Professor Pereira provided detailed comments on both the working paper and the broader conceptual framework of the LATIN TALES project, offering valuable suggestions that will contribute to the next stages of the research.

Following the presentation, researchers from the Centre for Global Law (CPDG) and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (CEJM) engaged in a collaborative discussion, providing further comments and recommendations. The seminar concluded with an interactive Q&A session, reinforcing the collaborative development of the LATIN TALES project.

The CPDG and the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence sincerely thank Professor Luíza Leão Soares Pereira for her insightful contributions and all participants for their valuable feedback. We look forward to the continued advancement of the LATIN TALES research project.