ABOUT THE COMPETITION
The 1st NLIU-CRIL Treaty Drafting and Negotiation Competition (“Competition”) is an academic initiative being organised with the objective of providing students a practical platform to engage with the process of treaty drafting and negotiation. Treaty negotiation and drafting remain central mechanisms through which States regulate international relations, address global challenges, and establish frameworks for cooperation across diverse fields.
The competition is designed to simulate the real-world processes through which international treaties are conceptualised, negotiated, and formalised. Participants will assume the role of representatives of States and engage in structured negotiations on a contemporary international issue. Through successive rounds of drafting and negotiation, teams will be required to formulate drafts from both sides, reconcile competing national interests, and collaboratively develop a comprehensive treaty text. The exercise aims to mirror the complexities of diplomatic negotiations, requiring participants to balance legal reasoning, strategic negotiation, and consensus-building.
By combining treaty drafting with negotiation simulations, the competition seeks to move beyond traditional mooting formats and expose participants to the practical dimensions of international law. Participants will develop skills in drafting, policy analysis, diplomatic communication, and collaborative problem-solving, while gaining deeper insight into how international agreements are structured and implemented.
Through this initiative, CRIL aims to create a meaningful academic platform that encourages students to engage critically with international law while developing practical skills relevant to careers in diplomacy and international legal practice.
COMPETITION FORMAT
The Competition is structured to simulate the process of bilateral treaty negotiations, combining written drafting with negotiation rounds. To ensure a balanced assessment of both drafting ability and negotiation strategy, the competition will be conducted in two primary stages: a written submission stage and online negotiation rounds.
For the purposes of this competition, teams will be provided with a Problem Statement outlining the subject matter of the proposed treaty and the positions of the negotiating States. Based on this problem statement, each team will be required to prepare and submit written treaty drafts from both sides of the negotiation, reflecting the legal and policy priorities of the respective States.
Following evaluation of the written submissions, the top 16 teams will qualify for the online negotiation rounds. These rounds will simulate bilateral treaty negotiations, where teams will engage in structured discussions to develop and negotiate treaty provisions. During the Preliminary Rounds, each team will represent both negotiating sides once, ensuring parity and a comprehensive evaluation of negotiation skills. A total of eight preliminary negotiation sessions will be conducted across two preliminary rounds.
Based on the cumulative scores from the preliminary rounds, the top 8 teams will qualify for the Quarter-Final rounds, followed by the Semi-Finals. Teams that do not advance to the final after the semi-final stage will compete in a Third-Place Round, which will determine the Second Runners-Up. The competition will culminate in the Final Round, where the top two teams will negotiate the provisions of the treaty.
| Stage | Description | Teams Advancing |
| Problem Release & Written Submissions | Teams receive the Problem Statement / Background Brief and submit treaty drafts representing both negotiating sides. | — |
| Written Evaluation | Written drafts are evaluated on criteria provided in the Competition Rules. | Top 16 Teams qualify |
| Preliminary Round 1 | Online bilateral negotiation simulation. Each team represents one negotiating side. | Top 8 Teams qualify |
| Preliminary Round 2 | Teams switch roles and represent the opposite side. Total 8 negotiation sessions conducted across preliminaries. | |
| Quarter-Finals | Knock-out negotiation rounds between the qualifying teams. | Top 4 Teams qualify |
| Semi-Finals | Knock-out negotiation rounds between the qualifying teams. | Top 2 Teams qualify for Final |
| Third-Place Round | The two teams not advancing from the Semi-Finals compete to determine the Second Runners-Up. | Second Runners-Up determined |
| Final Round | Final negotiation round between the top two teams. | Winner & Runner-Up |
ELIGIBILITY & TEAM COMPOSITION
The Competition is open to students currently enrolled in any recognised university, college, or academic institution in India, pursuing an undergraduate or postgraduate degree programme. Participation in the Competition shall be in teams only, with each team consisting of a maximum of two members.
There is no restriction on institutional representation. Universities and institutions may choose to send institutional teams; however, participants are also permitted to form teams with students from different programmes, universities, or academic institutions. Cross-institutional and cross-programme teams are therefore allowed.
REGISTRATION FEE
A registration fee of ₹1000 per team shall be charged at the time of registration for participation in the Competition.
Teams that qualify for the second stage of the competition (i.e. Online Negotiation Rounds) shall be required to pay an additional fee of ₹1500 per team, over and above the initial registration fee.
IMPORTANT DATES
| Event | Date |
| Registrations Open | 6 March, 2026 |
| Registration Deadline | 25 March, 2026 |
| Deadline for Submission of Draft | 4 April, 2026 |
| Declaration of Qualifying Teams | 7 April, 2026 |
| Final Oral Rounds | 11–12 April, 2026 |
PRIZE MONEY & AWARDS
The Competition will recognise performance through a range of awards and prizes. The Competition carries a total prize pool of ₹42,500, along with trophies and certificates acknowledging the achievements of participants.
Prize Money
| Category | Prize |
| Winner | ₹15,000 along with a trophy |
| Runners-Up | ₹10,000 along with a trophy |
| Second Runners-Up | ₹7,500 |
| Best Negotiator | ₹5,000 along with a trophy |
| Best Draft | ₹5,000 along with a trophy |
| Total Prize Pool | ₹42,500 |
- Certificate of Participation will be awarded to all registered participants.
- Certificate of Appreciation will be awarded to teams qualifying for the negotiation rounds.
- Certificates of Merit will be awarded to the Winner, Runners-Up, Second Runners-Up, Best Negotiator, and Best Draft.
How to register?
- Make the payment through the link: https://ums.nliu.ac.in/AccSoft_NLIU/MiscellaneousPayment.aspx
- Fill in your details and choose “1st NLIU-CRIL Treaty Drafting and Negotiation Competition” in the Details of Payment
- Once the payment is made, kindly take a screenshot of the payment or download the payment receipt.
- To register yourself , kindly fill the google form: https://forms.gle/q2pJZuVuQEXhFMer7
Problem Statement of the Competition: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1US-4AiQNzZg0ZTxfLPumn8ZqWgQbGdoJ/view?usp=sharing
Official Rules of the Competition: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T58sL44MeFy9R78297-AqKnvHrB1UIjZ/view?usp=sharing
Contact Us
You may reach out to us at [email protected] or contact the undersigned.
Jay Sharma (Convenor): +91 9993903175
Anoushka Naveen (Co-Convenor): +91 7667346297
Kindly use the following link to access the brochure of the competition for more details: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-6mlxUI4zb9-chSqGnqZWZQSgtnvEraK/view?usp=sharing
We look forward to your participation!