Conference: Does International Law Mean Business: A Partnership for Progress?

The 2008 Annual Conference of the British Branch of the International Law Association will take place May 16-17, 2008, at the offices of Clifford Chance LLP in Canary Wharf, London. The theme is "Does International Law Mean Business: A Partnership for Progress?" A program is not yet available online. Why attend?

In today's world, millions of people are trapped in conflict. Many more do not enjoy the most basic of human rights, or live in fragile states that, even while rich in economic potential, have been unable to escape cycles of corruption and bad governance. Globally, our environment is also under threat, not only from climate change but also from humankind's increasing appetite for our world's natural resources.

International business is readily condemned as exacerbating the plight of impoverished peoples and their environment. But is this a reactionary, simplistic and ultimately counterproductive perspective? Should the (non-)status of the corporation as an actor under international law be reconsidered? How might international law harness the power and influence of the private sector as a force for positive change?

The 2008 Annual Conference of the British Branch of the International Law Association will ask whether we can conceive of an international legal order in which business participates as a partner - alongside governments and other international organisations - in confronting the challenge of moving fragile states and their peoples, through sustainable development, to peace, security and prosperity.