Program Agenda

Click here for a PDF of the 2010 Spring Meeting Agenda.

Tuesday, April 13

7:30 a.m. – 8:30 a.m.
Registration

8:30 a.m. – 9:00 p.m.
International Law Boot Camp (ILBC) featuring the “Fundamentals of International Practice”
Co-Presented by: New York State Bar Association International Section
Young Lawyers; Business/Transactional; Corporate Counsel; Dispute Resolution/Litigation; International Trade/Customs; Law Practice; Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory

The Spring Meeting commences with a special series of programs, the International Law Boot Camp (ILBC) featuring the “Fundamentals of International Practice”. Attendance is limited to those who register for the ILBC. In addition to the programs denominated ILBC programs below, the ILBC also includes Pathways to Employment in International Law, Speed Networking and the WIN/SIN/GIN/YIN/Outreach Reception (described below).

The ILBC is a full day continuing legal education program which seeks to provide attendees with an introductory look at international aspects of several substantive areas of law and expand their knowledge of the key legal issues that arise in the context of international practice. Register for the International Law Boot Camp featuring the Fundamentals of International Practice as a stand-alone program or in combination with the entire ABA International Spring Meeting (excluding ticketed events).

Sponsoring Committees:
Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee, Young Lawyers’ Interest Network (YIN)

Co-Sponsor:
ABA Young Lawyers Division

Moderators and Program Chairs:
Russell W. Dombrow, Syracuse, NY
Christopher J. Kula, Phillips Nizer LLP,
New York, NY
Shannon P. McNulty, New York University School of Law, New York, NY

10:00 a.m. – 10:15 a.m.
Networking Break

12:20 p.m. – 1:20 p.m.
Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
2010 Spring Meeting Registration Opens

2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women Turns 30: Much Accomplished and More to Come
Public International Law/Rule of Law

This program will observe the 30th anniversary of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) in 2009. With 186 States as Parties, CEDAW is considered the international bill of rights for women. The U.S. signed long ago, but is one of a handful of states—along with Sudan, Iran, Somalia—that has yet to ratify. The Obama Administration has made ratification a priority. This program will highlight accomplishments and best practices under CEDAW and set out the case for and against U.S. ratification. The panel will include speakers in the area of women’s human rights particularly relating to the CEDAW treaty including representatives of the United Nations system, the NGO sector and academia.

Sponsoring Committees:
Women’s Interest Network (WIN), Young Lawyers Interest Network (YIN), Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee, Task Force on International Models Project on Women’s Rights

Program Chair:
Jennifer Wills, Women’s Interest Network (WIN), Washington, DC

Moderator and Program Chair:
Denise Scotto, New York, NY

Speakers:
Lee Waldorf, United Nations Development Fund for Women, New York, NY
Andrei Abramov, DESA/NGO Branch, United Nations and former Special Assistant to the UN Secretary General’s Special Advisor on Gender Issues & Advancement of Women, New York, NY
Janet Benshoof, New York, NY
Ruth Halperin-Kaddari, The Ruth & Emanuel Rackman Center for the Advancement of the Status of Women at Bar-Ilan University, Israel

3:25 p.m. – 3:40 p.m.
Networking Break

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Global and Cross-Border Pro Bono Service: Opportunities and Models for Feasible Participation (Non-CLE)
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Law Practice

This program will explore meaningful ways to integrate cross-border and global pro bono service into an active practice. Panelists will discuss a diverse range of projects, such as rule of law reform, humanitarian issues and the protection of women’s rights. Logistical and procedural aspects of international pro bono participation will be explored, including time commitments, travel, language capabilities and risks relating to travel to sensitive areas. The panel will discuss how and why approaches to legal volunteerism diverge in different parts of the world.

Sponsoring Committees:
International Human Rights Committee, UN and International Institutions Coordinating Committee, NGO and Not-for-Profit Organizations Committee, Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, Africa Committee, Asia/Pacific Committee, Latin America and Caribbean Law Committee, Law Student & Young Lawyer Outreach Committee, Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee, Women’s Interest Network (WIN), Seasoned Lawyers Interest Network (SIN), Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues Network Diversity Committee (GIN), Young Lawyers Interest Network (YIN)

Co-Sponsor:
World Justice Project

Program Chair:
Michael H. Byowitz, Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, New York, NY

Moderator and Program Chair:
Madeleine Schachter, Baker & McKenzie LLP, New York, NY

Speakers:
Jean Berman, International Senior Lawyers Project, New York, NY
Nancy Boswell, Transparency International USA, Washington, DC
Timothy L. Dickinson, ABA/UNDP International Legal Resource Center, Washington, DC
Hongxia Liu, World Justice Project, Washington, DC
Edwin Rekosh, Public Interest Law Institute, New York, NY
Christina Storm, Lawyers Without Borders, Inc, Hartford, CT

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
The Global War for Talent: Who’s Winning?
Law Practice; Public International Law/Rule of Law

This program will examine diversity across the legal profession and include speakers from private practice, in-house counsel, the judiciary, government, and the non-profit/multilateral sectors. Despite the concerted efforts of the ABA, minority bar associations, academia, and others, the statistics regarding diversity remain alarming. The legal profession lags far behind others in diversifying its ranks. Our panelists will tackle the significant challenges and opportunities associated with recruiting, retaining, and promoting world class diverse talent.

Sponsoring Committees:
Diversity Committee, Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee, Women’s Interest Network (WIN), Young Lawyers Interest Network (YIN)

Program Chair:
Ingrid Busson, Calyon Corporate and Investment Bank, New York, NY

Moderator:
Monica Parham, Crowell & Moring LLP, Washington, DC

Speakers:
Honorable Delissa A. Ridgway, U.S. Court of International Trade, New York, NY
James Spinner, Inter-American Development Bank, Washington, DC
Nichole S. Williams-Miller, Strayer University, Piscataway, NJ
M. Suzette Recinos, Pitney Bowes, Inc., Stamford, CT

6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Speed Networking (Non-CLE)
Law practice; Business/Transactional; Corporate Counsel; Dispute Resolution/Litigation; International Trade/Customs; Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory; Young Lawyers

Back by popular demand! We had so much fun, we are doing it again. Start the Spring Meeting by meeting ABA and Section Leadership and other international lawyers. Bring your business cards! Participants will have the opportunity to engage in a number of speed networking rounds to learn about each other or create business opportunities. With this program, there is no need to break the ice - it’s already done for you. Just take a seat and start talking!
This program is open to all Spring Meeting registrants and all ILBC participants.

Program Chairs and Moderators:
Cyndee Todgham Cherniak, Lang Michener, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Janet Moore, Global Rainmaking Strategist, Houston, TX

Wednesday, April 14

7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Registration

7:45 a.m. – 8:15 a.m.
Division Chairs Breakfast

Section Vice Chair Michael Burke will host this meeting of Division Chairs to discuss issues of mutual concern, such as how to foster cooperation amongst committees across divisions.

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Strategizing Human Rights and the Environment Claims After Wiwa and Other Recent Cases
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory; Young Lawyers

In the past year, claims of environmental exploitation-related human rights violations have resulted in a major multinational paying US $15,500,000 to plaintiffs allegedly injured by challenged practices in Nigeria, litigation is pending in Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador and the United States, and violence has erupted in Peru. The relationship between human rights and environmental policies or disputes now finds expression in national constitutions and deliberations of international bodies. Recent U.S. litigation under the Alien Tort Claims Act has led to important precedents concerning allegations of conspiring or complicity with authoritarian regimes that violated human rights as part of national resource policies. This program will explore opportunities and pitfalls that client assignments in these areas can cause through a simulated conference of lawyers active in such proceedings considering how and before which to bring such claims.

Sponsoring Committees:
Corporate Responsibility Committee, International Human Rights Committee, International Litigation Committee, Law Student, LL.M., and New Lawyer Outreach Committee, NGO and Not-for-Profit Organizations Committee, Young Lawyers Interest Network (YIN)

Moderator and Program Chair:
Joseph W. Dellapenna, Villanova University School of Law, Villanova, PA

Speakers:
Judith Brown Chomsky, Center for Constitutional Rights, New York, NY
Kristen Genovese, Center for International Environmental Law, Washington, DC
Richard L. Herz, EarthRights International, Washington, DC (Invited)
Guillermo Malm-Green, Brons & Salas, Buenos Aires, Argentina

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
The International Court of Justice and the Politics of the Balkans
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Dispute Resolution/Litigation

Ten years after the gruesome wars that ravaged the Balkans in the aftermath of the breakup of the former Yugoslavia, the states of the region are at a crossroads: Will some of them succumb to nationalist pressure and fragment, or will they move towards a European future? For the latter to happen, the states in the region need to reforge their relations, while coming to grips with past injuries inflicted on one another. Increasingly, these states have turned to the International Court of Justice to settle their disputes, as in cases involving the unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo and dispute between the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia v. Greece over NATO membership of the FYROM. But what are the potential implications of these and other cases regionally and domestically, and what is the effect of these cases on the perception and functioning of the ICJ?

Sponsoring Committee:
International Courts Committee, National Security Committee 

Program Chairs:
Carl Magnus Nesser, Permanent Delegation of Sweden to the OSCE, Vienna, Austria
Lee M. Caplan, U.S. Department of State, Washington DC

Moderator:
Hans Corell, Former Legal Counsel of the United Nations, Stockholm, Sweden

Speakers:
Lori F. Damrosch, Columbia Law School, New York, NY
Feodor Starcevic, the Permanent Representative of Serbia to the UN, New York, NY
Paul S. Reicher, Foley Hoag, Washington D.C.
Timothy W. Waters, Indiana University Maurer School of Law, Bloomington, IN 

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Networking Break
With thanks to our sponsor Matheson Ormsby Prentice

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Legal Empowerment of the Poor:
The UN’s Newest Call to Action
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Young Lawyers

From 2005 to 2008, an independent Commission on Legal Empowerment of the Poor assessed and debated a new development concept: making the law more accessible to help those most in need to escape from poverty. The Commission conducted national consultations, launched technical working groups and issued reports that challenged the international development community to re-think traditional access to justice. The Commission called for a “bottom-up” approach where reforms are primarily shaped by the needs of the poor and address the following pillars holistically: access to justice and the rule of law; property rights; labor rights; and business rights. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is implementing the Commission’s recommendations in developing countries. Panelists will discuss UNDP’s experience with the Commission’s programming, the response in the Southern Hemisphere and the implications for future legal reform work.

Sponsoring Committees:
Asia/Pacific Committee, Latin America & Caribbean Committee, UN and International Institutions Coordinating Committee, International Human Rights Committee, Rule of Law-Technical Legal Assistance Board, International Legal Resource Center

Co-Sponsor:
ABA Center for Human Rights

Program Chair:
Mitchell A. Orpett, Tribler Orpett & Meyer, PC, Chicago, IL

Moderator and Program Chair:
Don S. DeAmicis, Ropes & Gray LLP, Boston, MA

Speakers:
Stephen Golub, Adjunct Professor, University of California at Berkeley Law School and Central European University
His Excellency Mr. Abdullah H. Haroon, Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, New York, NY
Olav Kjorven, United Nations Development Programme, New York, NY
James Goldston, Open Society Justice Initiative

2:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.
International Organized Crime: Threats and Remedies
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory

International organized crime has entered a new phase. “Virtual” crime families traffic in stolen financial information on black market websites, manipulate stocks by illegally accessing financial institutions’ computer systems, and extort money through “denial of service” attacks. In the former Soviet bloc, “ corporate raiders” take over businesses by manipulating the legal system as a cover for armed takeovers. An “Eco-Mafia” is generating billions of dollars annually through environmental schemes. Proceeds are often laundered through financial institutions, creating risk of regulatory and even criminal sanctions. This panel will examine emerging trends in international organized crime, with special attention to Europe (including Eastern Europe) and the former Soviet Union. The focus will be on the threats that emerging criminal organizations pose to U.S. businesses operating overseas; business intelligence’s role in protecting companies; cooperation between victim companies and law enforcement, and possible remedies including criminal prosecution and U.S. civil RICO actions.

Sponsoring Committees:
Russia/Eurasia Committee, International Criminal Law Committee

Moderator and Program Chair:
Thomas Firestone, U.S. Embassy, Moscow, Russia

Speakers:
Misha Glenny, London, United Kingdom
David Lawrence, Goldman Sachs,
New York, NY
Bruce Marks, Marks and Sokolov LLC, Philadelphia, PA
Bruce Ohr, Organized Crime and Racketeering Section, U.S. Department of Justice, Washington, DC

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Networking Break

4:15 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.
Legal Issues in the Creation of a Two State Solution to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict: What Are They and How Can They Be Resolved?
Public International Law/Rule of Law

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has dominated the discussion of Middle East politics for more than sixty years. Many commentators suggest that resolution lies in the creation of two separate states. Such a move would require agreement over a myriad of complex legal and policy issues, such as the delineation of boundaries, the status of settlements and Jerusalem, refugees, compensation rights and security arrangements. This program will bring together policy and legal experts with “hands on” experience at the negotiating table to outline and address these issues and to evaluate various proposals for achieving a consensus over them.

Sponsoring Committee:
Middle East Committee

Co-Sponsor:
Association of the Bar of the City of New York

Moderators and Program Chairs:
Katlyn Thomas, Katlyn Thomas PC,
New York, NY
Arthur W. Rovine, Fordham University Law School, New York, NY

Speakers:
Amjad Atallah, New America Foundation, Washington, DC
Hrair Balian, Carter Center, Atlanta, GA
Alon Ben-Meir, New York University School of Law, New York, NY
Nicholas Rostow, State University of New York, New York, NY

Thursday, April 15

7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Registration

7:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast
With thanks to our sponsors
Bron & Salas Abogados; Estudio Beccar Varela; Estudio Randle; Gonzalez & Ferraro Mila; M. & M. Bomchil Abogados; Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal; Negri & Teijeiro; Vitale, Manoff & Feilbogen; Zang, Bergel & Vines Abogados

7:45 a.m. – 8:45 a.m.
Committee Breakfasts

Not sure whether to attend committee business breakfasts? If not attending, you may be missing the greatest benefit of Section membership. Our more than sixty committees cover every possible aspect of public and private international law. Most of the Section’s substantive work is conducted at the committee level. Committee business meetings provide a great opportunity to meet your Section colleagues, learn about and shape committee plans, and become more active in the Section. Section members can join as many committees as they wish—at no charge! Further details concerning the schedule of which particular committees will be meeting will be listed on the Spring Meeting website (www.abanet.org/intlaw/spring10) as well as in the onsite meeting information guide.

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Conflicts Between Sharia and International Human Rights Law and Norms Regarding Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Young Lawyers; Law Practice

This roundtable discussion will familiarize attendees with the effects of Sharia, religious and national laws on traditional taboos of sexual orientation and gender identity in North African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries. Speakers will address the serious question of how to reconcile traditional religious law in these regions with international human rights mechanisms and norms which seek to prohibit discrimination based on gender, sexual orientation and gender identity. The panel will also explore a hypothetical Western client’s likely course of action to protect its LGBT employees who work in more conservative legal environments.

Sponsoring Committees:
Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Issues Network, Middle East Committee, Asia-Pacific Committee

Moderator and Program Chair:
M. David Coffman, Coffman Legal PLLC, Seattle, WA

Program Chair:
Paul E. Johnson, The John Marshall Law School, Chicago, IL

Speakers:
Hossein Alizadeh, International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission, New York, NY
Rasha Moumneh, Human Rights Watch, New York, NY (Invited)
Hedwin Salmen-Navarro, Salmen-Navarro & Associates, New York, NY
Mark Wojcik, The John Marshall Law School, Chicago, IL

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Networking Break
With thanks to our sponsors
Bron & Salas Abogados; Estudio Beccar Varela; Estudio Randle; Gonzalez & Ferraro Mila; M. & M. Bomchil Abogados; Marval, O’Farrell & Mairal; Negri & Teijeiro; Vitale, Manoff & Feilbogen; Zang, Bergel & Vines Abogados

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
The Role of the Military in Promoting the Rule of Law
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory

Military interventions in Iraq and Afghanistan have stimulated discussion of whether there is or should be a role for the military in promoting the rule of law. This panel will unveil disagreements among academics, military and civilian agencies and rule of law practitioners as to whom should be tasked with these efforts. Is it the role of civilian agencies only? What is the role of the military? Do both civilian and military agencies share a common understanding to the rule of law? How does the security environment affect the ability of any given external actor to engage on capacity building efforts and operations? Many understand and approach the rule of law as a means to security while others see security as a means to the rule of law. Discussion by representatives from the five armed forces will seek answers to some of the most compelling questions faced by rule of law practitioners, military and civilian agencies.

Sponsoring Committees:
Rule Of Law-Technical Assistance Board, UN and International Organizations Coordinating Committee, International Human Rights Committee, NGO and Not-For-Profit Organizations Committee

Co-Sponsor:
ABA Standing Committee on Law and National Security

Program Chairs:
Salli Swartz, Philips Giraud Naud & Swartz, Paris, France
Lelia Mooney, Rule of Law Officer, ABA Section of International Law, Washington, DC

Moderator:
Karen Mathis, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of America, Washington, DC

Speakers:
Colonel Vaughn Ary, Acting Staff Judge Advocate to the Commandant of the Marine Corps, United States Marine Corps, Arlington, VA
Brigadier General Thomas E. Ayres, Assistant Judge Advocate General  for Military Law and Operations, United States Army, Arlington, VA
Rear Admiral William “Bill” D. Baumgartner, Judge Advocate General and Chief Counsel of the United States Coast Guard, United States Coast Guard, Washington, DC
Lieutenant General Richard “Rich” Harding, Judge Advocate General, United States Air Force, Arlington, VA
Vice Admiral James “Jim” W.  Houck, Judge Advocate General of the Navy, United States Navy, Washington, DC

12:45 p.m. – 2:15 p.m.
Ticketed Event
Luncheon with Distinguished Speaker
With thanks to our sponsor
De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
International Trade in Ancient Art and Archeological Objects: Controversies Over U.S. Implementation of the 1970 UNESCO Convention on Cultural Property
Public International Law/Rule of Law; international trade/customs; Corporate Counsel

In 1970, the U.S. took a historic decision to support the UNESCO Convention on Cultural Property and to combat pillage of archeological sites by restricting imports of designated categories of archeological materials in situations where looting threatens the cultural patrimony of other nations. At the same time, the U.S. rejected a UNESCO proposal that would have barred international trade in all cultural property unless licensed by the country of origin. This compromise was adopted by Congress in the 1983 Act implementing the Convention. Regulations pursuant to the Convention have transformed the market. The State Department has negotiated comprehensive import controls on antiquities from major source countries, including Italy and China, and customs officials have confiscated objects not regulated under the Convention implementing legislation when claimed as state property by foreign governments. Archeologists and others in the preservationist community applaud these actions, but critics in the art museum and dealer communities believe that the State Department has disregarded the criteria established by law.

Sponsoring Committee:
UN and International Institutions Coordinating Committee

Program Chair:
Robert F. Brodegaard, Thompson & Knight LLP, New York, NY

Moderator and Program Chair:
Mark B. Feldman, Garvey Schubert Barer, Washington, DC

Speakers:
James Fitzpatrick, Arnold & Porter, Washington, DC
Patty Gerstenblith, DePaul University College of Law, Chicago, IL
Josh Knerly, Hahn Loeser & Parks, Cleveland, OH
Nancy C. Wilkie, Carleton College, Northfield, MN

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Networking Break

With thanks to our sponsor
Arent Fox LLP

4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Harmonization of Law: North America, Europe and Latin America—Developments and Future Prospects
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Regulatory; Young Lawyers

The negotiation of international conventions is only one way in which law is harmonized. Valuable harmonization of law has also developed independent of treaties. This program will explore significant harmonization projects that have been undertaken in recent years in North America, Europe and Latin America. The Uniform Law Commission in the United States has worked with its counterparts in Canada and Mexico to develop a model for harmonization projects, with a multinational committee initially developing a set of principles for drafting legislation and then subjecting individual countries’ draft legislation for review by the multi-national committee. This program will consider the utility of this and other harmonization models and projects that have recently been undertaken in Canada, the European Union, and Latin America. Suggestions will also be sought as to possible future regional harmonization projects.

Sponsoring Committee:
Private International Law Coordinating Committee

Program Chair:
John A. Sebert, Uniform Law Commission, Chicago, IL

Moderator:
The Honorable Martha L. Walters, Oregon Supreme Court, Salem, OR

Speakers:
Jeffrey B. Golden, Allen & Overy, LLP, London, United Kingdom
Harry J. Haynsworth, IV, Briggs and Morgan, P.A., Minneapolis, MN
Peter J.M. Lown, Alberta Law Reform Institute, Alberta, Canada
Robert A. Stein, University of Minnesota School of Law (and former Executive Director, American Bar Association), Minneapolis, MN
David P. Stewart, Georgetown University Law Center Washington, DC

Friday, April 16

7:00 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.
Registration

7:45 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.
Continental Breakfast

9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.
Immigration Compliance Initiatives Across the Globe: What’s Happening in Your Region?
Corporate Counsel; Regulatory; Public International Law/Rule of Law; Young Lawyers; Employment Law/Human Resources mini-track

Immigration compliance is increasingly moving to the forefront of considerations by corporate counsel and lawyers advising businesses who seek to hire foreign workers while complying with the laws governing their jurisdiction. In some instances, those laws can vary, and even conflict, at the national, state and local level. As jurisdictions seek to enact or amend their laws and policies to satisfy political, economic and security concerns, compliance with these laws becomes increasingly more difficult and the consequences of non-compliance more substantial for both companies and employees. This panel will focus on major compliance initiatives occurring around the globe, in large commercial centers, and assist employers and their counsel navigate those often complex waters.

Sponsoring Committees:
Immigration and Naturalization Committee, International Employment Law Committee, International Corporate Counsel Committee

Program Chair:
Lisa Ryan, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, New York, NY

Moderator and Program Chair:
Susan Cohen, Mintz, Levin, Cohn, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, P.C., Boston, MA

Speakers:
Graeme Kirk, Gross & Co. Solicitors, Bury St. Edmunds, United Kingdom
Patrick Shen, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, Washington, DC
Baba Zipkin, International Business Machines, Bethesda, MD
Satyendra Shrivastava, ALMT Legal, Mumbai, India

10:30 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.
Networking Break

With thanks to our sponsor
steptoe & johnson LLP

11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Cutting Red Tape and Unlocking Blocked Assets: ADR as a Strategic Vehicle in Developing Countries
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Dispute Resolution/Litigation

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, is currently implementing a popular Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Global Program. Building on experience from Southern Europe, where the IFC assisted with opening 12 mediation centers and successful resolution of over 2,500 cases, the ADR Global Program puts forth an impressive product line of services for the private sector within and outside the borders of developing countries. Services include establishing a supportive ADR legal framework, creating an in-country pool of well trained mediators, raising awareness about ADR and creating financially sustainable ADR systems. Panelists will discuss the ADR Global Program’s impact, implementation of ADR projects, lessons learned, capacity building strategies, necessary preconditions for ADR set up, and responses of key local stakeholders with a view towards the development of best practices that support and strengthen the Rule of Law in different legal and social contexts.

Sponsoring Committees:
International Legal Resource Center, Rule of Law-Technical Legal Assistance Board

Co-Sponsors:
International Finance Corporation, World Bank Group, Law Society of England & Wales

Program Chair:
Don S. DeAmicis, Ropes & Gray LLP, Boston, MA

Moderator and Program Chair:
Lelia Mooney, Rule of Law Officer, ABA Section of International Law, Washington, DC

Speakers:
Lada Busevac, Advisory Services Southern Europe, International Finance Corporation, Sarajevo, Bosnia
Donna Stienstra, U.S. Federal Judicial Center, Washington, DC
Sevi Simavi, Global Product Leader, Women in Business Program, IFC , Washington, DC
Patricia Sulser, Principal Counsel, IFC , Washington, DC

2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.
A New Global Charter for Ethics in the World Economy? Implications for Corporate Social Responsibility
Public International Law/Rule of Law; Business/Transactional; Regulatory

Responding to the international financial crisis, world leaders have called for greater ethics and integrity in international business and finance. Suggestions in this regard include German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s call for a “global charter” for economic governance that embraces social justice and sustainability, and the Italian Finance Minister support for development of a worldwide “Legal Standard” for ethical business behavior.
The normative aspect of these efforts are now converging as a “Global Standard.” A far-reaching inventory of relevant instruments and initiatives has been prepared by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in cooperation with various intergovernmental organizations that set out principles of propriety, integrity and transparency in categories such as corporate governance, market integrity, financial regulation and supervision, tax cooperation, and transparency of macroeconomic policy and data. A panel of OECD officials and experts focusing on corporate responsibility will provide an update and analysis of the “Global Standard” which some commentators have already hailed as key to a fundamental restructuring of the global economic system’s legal and ethical architecture.

Sponsoring Committees:
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee
International Anti-Money Laundering Committee

Moderator and Program Chair:
Dr. Isabella D. Bunn, Regent’s Park College, Oxford University and College of Business, Florida Institute of Technology, Oxford,
United Kingdom

Speaker and Program Chair:
Michael Levine, Epstein Becker & Green, New York, NY

Speakers:
Roel Nieuwenkamp, Director of International Trade and Globalization, Ministry of Economic Affairs of The Netherlands and Vice-Chair of the Investment Committee, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development
Prof. Larry Catá Backer, The Dickinson School of Law, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

4:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
Responsibility to Protect—Strategies for Implementation
Public International Law/Rule of Law

Genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity continue despite international condemnations and efforts. In 2005, at the World Summit, Heads of State and governments recognized that individual states had the primary “Reponsibility to Protect” (R2P) their populations from such atrocities. The most controversial and debated aspect of R2P is the use of military force by other nations, which is allowed by Security Council resolution, only as a last resort. However, R2P is not merely a substitute for humanitarian intervention through the use of force, but entails a threefold responsibility to prevent, react and rebuild. To what extent are the United Nations and member states fulfilling this responsibility? How do R2P norms apply in crisis situations, such as Darfur or Burma? How can the concept be translated into policy by states and the United Nations?

Sponsoring Committees:
Corporate Social Responsibility Committee, Immigration and Naturalization Committee, International Human Rights Committee

Moderator and Program Chair:
Ellen G. Yost, Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, New York, NY

Program Chair and Speaker:
Elizabeth DeFeis, Seton Hall University, School of Law, Newark, NJ

Speakers:
Francis Deng, Special Advisor for the Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities, United Nations, New York, NY (Invited)
Richard Dicker, Human Rights Watch, New York, NY
Edward Luck, Special Advisor on Responsibility to Protect, United Nations, New York, NY
Patricia O’Brien, Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs and the Legal Counsel, United Nations, New York, NY

4:00 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Networking Break

Saturday, April 17

7:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Section Council Continental Breakfast