Events and announcements: April 6, 2014

Event

• The United Nations Law Committee of the International Law Association, American Branch, along with The George Washington University Law School, invite you to a brownbag lunch panel on Treaty Survival on Wednesday, April 9, 2014, 1:00 – 2:15 PM in the Moot Court Room, The George Washington University Law School, 2000 H St. NW, Washington DC, 20052. This panel will address the effectiveness of treaties over time, with particular emphasis on the adaptability of treaties to present-day challenges. Can existing treaties, including those of fundamental doctrinal significance, such as the Geneva Conventions or the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, remain effective in an era of rapid change? Can contemplated or future agreements that seek to address evolving areas about which incomplete information exists, such as nanotechnology, geoengineering, synthetic biology, cyberspace and weapons systems, remain relevant and responsive over time? What tools enable international lawyers to assist the international community in addressing these questions? Panellists are our own Duncan Hollis, as well as Sean Murphy, Georg Nolte and Arnold Pronto.

Calls for Papers

• TDM is calling for a special issue on dispute resolution from a corporate perspective that seeks to widen and deepen the debate on issues that are central to the efficient management of disputes from a corporate perspective. They seek contributions related to dispute management, commercial dispute resolution, managing the cost of dispute resolution, and the future of commercial dispute resolution, but welcome other relevant contributions as well. The editors of the special are: Kai-Uwe Karl (General Electric), Abhijit Mukhopadhyay (Hinduja Group), Michael Wheeler (Harvard Business School) and Heba Hazzaa (Cairo University). Publication is expected in October 2014. Proposals for papers should be submitted to the editors by July 31, 2014. Contact details are available on the TDM website.

Announcements

• The ICRC has launched its first Research & Debate Cycle on New Technologies and the Modern Battlespace. In recent years, a wide array of new technologies has entered the modern battlefield, giving rise to new methods and means of warfare, such as cyber attacks, armed drones and robots.  While there can be no doubt that IHL applies to them, applying pre-existing legal rules to new technologies may raise the question of whether the rules are sufficiently clear in light of the new technologies’ specific characteristics and foreseeable humanitarian impact. Each of these new technologies raises a host of issues, which the first Research & Debate Cycle proposes to discuss. From March to June 2014, several public events will be organized around the globe, with a view to answering several objectives: connecting academics and researchers on international humanitarian law, scientists, military representatives, human rights lawyers, policy-makers and practitioners;  facilitating discussion, exchange of knowledge and new ideas in relation to the theme of the cycle; ensuring a global outreach, through the involvement of relevant ICRC delegations and contacts in the field; proposing multi-disciplinary solutions to the questions identified. On March 25, the inaugural panel presented the various ethical, legal, scientific, and military issues that new technologies raise for humanitarian law and action, and which the subsequent events will strive to answer. The recording of the panel, as well as several interviews with the speakers, is now available here.
• The EIUC Venice School of Human Rights will run from June 27 to July 5, 2014 and is accepting applications until May 15, 2014. The EIUC Venice School of Human Rights will update participants on the state of the art debate on human rights issues and stimulate their reflection on the current challenges faced by human rights actors worldwide. After an introduction on current challenges, participants will have the opportunity to learn more about one of these 3 selected topics “Business and Human Rights”, “The Internationalisation of Migration Law and the Role of the EU” and “Freedom of Expression and Assembly Online”. The EIUC Venice School combines theory and practice and its faculty involves internationally recognised academics and practitioners. Prof. Martin Scheinin, former UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, and Prof. William Schabas from the University of Middlesex will open the Venice School 2014. Check herefor the full programme details.

Last week’s events and announcements can be found here. If you would like to post an announcement on Opinio Juris, please contact us.