Weiner: The Torture Memos and Accountability

Allen S. Weiner (Stanford Univ. - Law) has posted an ASIL Insight on The Torture Memos and Accountability.

New Issue: European Journal of International Relations

The latest issue of the European Journal of International Relations (Vol. 15, no. 2, June 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Ian Clark, Towards an English School Theory of Hegemony
• Stephen Hopgood, Moral Authority, Modernity and the Politics of the Sacred
• Giacomo Chiozza, A Crisis Like No Other? Anti-Americanism at the Time of the Iraq War
• Barak Mendelsohn, English School, American Style: Testing the Preservation-seeking Quality of the International Society
• Alexander Bukh, Identity, Foreign Policy and the 'Other': Japan's 'Russia'
• Mette Eilstrup-Sangiovanni, The End of Balance-of-Power Theory? A Comment on Wohlforth et al.'s 'Testing Balance-of-Power Theory in World History'
• William C. Wohlforth, Richard Little, Stuart J. Kaufman, David C. Kang,
  Charles A. Jones, Victoria Tin-Bor Hui, Arthur M. Eckstein, Daniel Deudney, & William J. Brenner, The Comedy of Errors? A Reply to Mette Eilstrup-Sangiovanni

Benvenisti: Rethinking the Divide between Jus Ad Bellum and Jus in Bello in Warfare Against Nonstate Actors

Eyal Benvenisti (Tel Aviv Univ. - Law) has posted Rethinking the Divide between Jus Ad Bellum and Jus in Bello in Warfare Against Nonstate Actors (Yale Journal of International Law, forthcoming). Here's the abstract:

Nonstate actors exploit and, hence, challenge two basic assumptions that have grounded jus in bello since its inception: that it is possible to compartmentalize the battlefield and isolate with sufficient clarity, military from civilian targets and that there are clear objectives to any military campaign, such as gaining control over territory. With no tangible military objectives, regular armies are often tempted to simply capture or kill as many of their opponents as possible or to intimidate their opponents’ non-combatant constituency. The essay argues that those concerned with the protection of non-combatants in such asymmetric conflicts should consider introducing jus ad bellum considerations in assessing compliance with jus in bello obligations.

Call for Papers: Strategies for Solving Global Crises. The Financial Crises and Beyond

The Institut für Völkerrecht und Europarecht and the Institute of Political Science of the Universität Göttingen, in cooperation with the Göttingen Journal of International Law, have issued a call for papers for a junior scholars workshop on "Strategies for Solving Global Crises. The Financial Crises and Beyond." Here's the call:

The recent, ongoing crisis of the world financial system, but also other global problems such as climate change or the spread of weapons of mass destruction have highlighted the susceptibility of a globalized world to equally globalized crises.

In October 2009, an interdisciplinary workshop held at the Georg-August-University Göttingen will explore the phenomenon of global crises both theoretically and empirically. In particular the workshop will use the global financial crisis as paradigm to analyze different strategies for preventing and solving global crises, ranging from international approaches to regional initiatives and action taken on the national level.

Conference Organization

The workshop will be held in English and include four working panels as well as one concluding panel. The papers presented at the workshop will be published together with a conference report in a special issue of the Göttingen Journal of International Law (GoJIL). Welcome are papers with a theoretical (analytical/normative), as well as an empirical focus.

Panel 1: Dynamics of global phenomena: Actors and Processes before and during global crises

Panel 2: Analyses of prevention and solution strategies for global crises

Panel 3: The role of international law: Obstacle to or instrument for solutions to global problems?

Panel 4: Beyond the financial crisis: Theoretical models for global crises

The panels are prospective. All papers dealing with the general topic of the workshop are welcome and suggestions for alternative panels are encouraged.

Submissions of Papers

This call for papers is addressed in particular to scholars of international law, international politics and economics, but scholars from adjacent disciplines are explicitly encouraged to also submit papers of relevance to the general topic.

The workshop will focus on junior scientists ranging from the doctoral to the post-doctoral level. Interested scholars shall send their abstracts in English (up to 400 words) until 26 June 2009 to: Roman.Goldbach@sowi.unigoettingen.de and Joern.Mueller@jura.uni-goettingen.de.

Selected participants will be notified by 12 July 2009 and are expected to submit their full papers by 20 September 2009. The length of the final papers should not exceed 7,000 words.

Conference Attendance and Registration

Authors of accepted papers are expected to attend all conference sessions (a small number of additional participants may attend by invitation only). There is no registration fee for scholars presenting their papers.

Accommodation and Travel Arrangements

Funds for travel expenses and accommodation (especially for international scholars) are available in a limited amount. Details on travel arrangements and accommodation will be provided to the selected participants in due time.

Contact details and further information may be found here.

We are looking forward to your submission.

Conference: Investment Treaties at 50: Host State Perspectives

Today, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law will host a conference on "Investment Treaties at 50: Host State Perspectives." The program is available here.

Workshop: Potier

Tim Potier (Univ. of Nicosia - Law) will give a talk today at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law's Friday Lunchtime Lecture Series on "Cyprus: the Consequences of Failure."

New Issue: Schweizerische Zeitschrift für internationales und europäisches Recht

The latest issue of the Schweizerische Zeitschrift für internationales und europäisches Recht (Vol. 18, no. 3, 2008) is out. Contents include:

• Hans-Michael Riemer, Sitzverlegung einer schweizerischen "gewöhnlichen" Stiftung ins Ausland
• Marcel Alexander Niggli, Immigration & Integration
• Ivo Schwander, Was können Privatrecht und Internationales Privatrecht zur Integration von Ausländerinnen und Ausländern beitragen?
• Marc Spescha, Neues Ausländergesetz - Migrationspolitik mit Zuckerbrot und Peitsche

New Issue: George Washington International Law Review

The latest issue of the George Washington International Law Review (Vol. 40, no. 1, 2008) is out. Contents include:

• Robert C. Blitt, “Babushka Said Two Things—It Will Either Rain or Snow; It Either Will or Will Not”: An Analysis of the Provisions and Human Rights Implications of Russia’s New Law on Non-Governmental Organizations as Told Through Eleven Russian Proverbs
• Ian Johnstone, Law-Making Through the Operational Activities of International Organizations
• Doris Estelle Long, Is Fame All There Is? Beating Global Monopolists At Their Own Marketing Game
• Samuel P. Baumgartner, How Well Do U.S. Judgments Fare in Europe?
• Daniel H. Joyner, Jus Ad Bellum in the Age of WMD Proliferation

Workshop: Cryer

Robert Cryer (Univ. of Birmingham - Law) will give a talk today at the Oxford Public International Law Discussion Group on "The International Criminal Court's Early Practice: Building Legitimacy?"

Ferraud-Ciandet: Protection de la santé et sécurité alimentaire en droit international

Nathalie Ferraud-Ciandet has published Protection de la santé et sécurité alimentaire en droit international (Larcier 2009). Here's the abstract:

Ce livre offre une perspective nouvelle des questions de santé qui, malgré l’intérêt qu’elles suscitent, sont trop souvent détachées de leur contexte juridique. Ceci le rend d’autant plus attrayant qu’à ce jour, il s’agit du premier ouvrage disponible en langue française. Le sujet se justifie largement pour plusieurs raisons.

Tout d’abord en vertu de l’actualité des thèmes abordés : lutte contre le tabac, accès aux soins et aux médicaments (virus HIV), OGM, amiante, «vache folle», principe de précaution, mesures sanitaires et phytosanitaires (grippe aviaire), bioterrorisme… L’action de l’OMS a elle-même pris une importance considérable avec l’adoption de son premier traité pour la lutte contre le tabagisme.

Naturellement, cet ouvrage de synthèse dépasse le catalogue des questions de santé pour proposer une vision globale de la santé en droit international, ce qui implique une approche transversale. L’OMS prise comme point de départ sera vite dépassée par l’impact des activités d’autres organisations internationales sur la santé publique, notamment : la libéralisation des échanges commerciaux internationaux (OMC), les droits de propriété intellectuelle(OMPI), les conditions de travail (OIT), l’environnement (PNUE, Commission du Codex Alimentarius), les conflits internationaux (CICR, AIEA), l’éthique (UNESCO)…

L’analyse des décisions des juridictions mondiales met en évidence les sanctions de toute violation des règles du droit international de la santé (organe de règlement des différends de l’OMC, Cour internationale de justice, juridictions pénales…).

New Issue: Berkeley Journal of International Law

The latest issue of the Berkeley Journal of International Law (Vol. 27, no. 1, 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Linda Greenhouse, The Mystery of Guantánamo Bay
• Sean D. Murphy, Protean Jus Ad Bellum
• Nuno Garoupa & Tom Ginsburg, The Comparative Law and Economics of Judicial Councils
• Patrick J. Keenan, Curse or Cure? China, Africa, and the Effects of Unconditioned Wealth
• Muna Ndulo, The United Nations Responses to the Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Women and Girls by Peacekeepers During Peacekeeping Missions
• Zephyr Teachout, Extraterritorial Electioneering and the Globalization of American Elections
• Scott J. Shakelford, From Nuclear War to Net War: Analogizing Cyber Attacks in International Law

New Issue: Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law

The latest issue of the Vanderbilt Journal of Transnational Law (Vol. 42, no. 3, May 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Richard D. Rosen, Targeting Enemy Forces in the War on Terror: Preserving Civilian Immunity
• Jure Vidmar, International Legal Responses to Kosovo's Declaration of Independence
• Valentina Sara Vadi, Investing in Culture: Underwater Cultural Heritage and International Investment Law
• Kerstin Mechlem, Treaty Bodies and the Interpretation of Human Rights

Lecture: Fox on "Transformative Occupation"

Today, Gregory H. Fox (Wayne State Univ. - Law) will deliver the 2009 Hilaire McCoubrey Memorial Lecture at the University of Hull Law School. His topic is "Transformative Occupation: Wave of the Future or Retrogression?"

New Issue: Ocean Development & International Law

The latest issue of Ocean Development & International Law (Vol. 40, no. 2, 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Bjørn Kunoy, The 10 Year Time Frame to Disputed Areas
• Yoshifumi Tanaka, Reflections on Reporting Systems in Treaties Concerning the Protection of the Marine Environment
• Timo Koivurova, A Note on the European Union's Integrated Maritime Policy
• Sam Bateman & Michael White, Compulsory Pilotage in the Torres Strait: Overcoming Unacceptable Risks to a Sensitive Marine Environment
• Elizabeth Elliot-Meisel, Politics, Pride, and Precedent: The United States and Canada in the Northwest Passage
• Joshua H. Ho, Enhancing Safety, Security, and Environmental Protection of the Straits of Malacca and Singapore: The Cooperative Mechanism

Enforcing Arbitration Agreements: West Tankers - Where Are We? Where Do We Go from Here?

Today, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law will host a seminar on "Enforcing Arbitration Agreements: West Tankers - Where Are We? Where Do We Go from Here?" Details are available here.

Protecting the Marine Environment: Governance and Resource Exploitation

Today, the British Institute of International and Comparative Law will host a seminar on "Protecting the Marine Environment: Governance and Resource Exploitation." Details are available here.

Triggs: Maritime Boundary Disputes in the South China Sea: International Legal Issues

Gillian Triggs (Univ. of Sydney - Law) has posted Maritime Boundary Disputes in the South China Sea: International Legal Issues. Here's the abstract:

Energy security has become one of the world’s foremost concerns and a potent source of international conflict. While potentially rich oil and gas resources lie within national maritime zones, they are inaccessible for exploitation so long as the hundreds of overlapping offshore boundary claims remain in dispute. This paper examines the long standing maritime boundary disputes in the South China Sea in respect of the Spratly Islands, the Paracels, the Ambalat offshore area, the Straits of Johore and Singapore, the Gulf of Thailand, Scarborough Shoal and the Malampaya and Camago Gas Fields. It is observed that ‘Track 2’ diplomacy, once thought likely to provide a solution, has not been successful. Rather, the international rules established by the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and subsequently developed by international tribunals, most particularly by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), provide relatively clear principles upon which questions of territorial sovereignty and the delimitation of the continental shelf and Exclusive Economic Zones can be resolved. The recent decision of the ICJ in the Black Sea (Romania v Ukraine) case of 2008 is examined and the legal principles identified. It is argued that, if international law, for political and strategic reasons, is not acceptable to States in the South China Sea, it is time to look again at the benefits of 'sovereign neutral' joint development, either on a bilateral basis or multilaterally. Efforts by States in the Asian region over the last few years to work collaboratively on issues of mutual concern such as the marine environment, terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking and refugees may have fostered regional confidence to resolve the more intractable issue of maritime boundaries. The need for secure access to energy resources may speed this process.

New Issue: Human Rights Quarterly

The latest issue of the Human Rights Quarterly (Vol. 31, no. 2, May 2009) is out. Contents include:

• Scott Jerbi, Business and Human Rights at the UN: What Might Happen Next?
• Paige Arthur, How “Transitions” Reshaped Human Rights: A Conceptual History of Transitional Justice
• Lanse Minkler, Economic Rights and Political Decision Making
• James Dawes, Human Rights in Literary Studies
• Jacqueline Bhabha, Arendt’s Children: Do Today’s Migrant Children Have a Right to Have Rights?
• Rebecca K. Root, Through the Window of Opportunity: The Transitional Justice Network in Peru
• Homer Venters, Dana Dasch-Goldberg, Andrew Rasmussen, & Allen S. Keller, Into the Abyss: Mortality and Morbidity Among Detained Immigrants
• Marlies Glasius, What is Global Justice and Who Decides?: Civil Society and Victim Responses to the International Criminal Court’s First Investigations

Rosenfeld: Die humanitäre Besatzung: Ein Dilemma des ius post bellum

Friedrich Rosenfeld has published Die humanitäre Besatzung: Ein Dilemma des ius post bellum (Nomos 2009). Here's the abstract:

Für den Zeitraum nach der Beendigung bewaffneter Konflikte existieren bislang nur wenige völkerrechtliche Regeln. Zu den ungelösten Problemen des ius post bellum gehört die Frage, ob externe Akteure zum Wohle der Bevölkerung regimeändernde Maßnahmen in Post-Konflikt-Staaten ergreifen dürfen.

Im vorliegenden Band wird untersucht, inwieweit die Konstitutionalisierung des Völkerrechts zur Herausbildung von Vorgaben für die Organisation von Staaten geführt hat. Am Beispiel der jüngsten Transformationsprozesse im Irak und im Kosovo werden die Kompetenzen einzelner Staaten und der Vereinten Nationen zur zwangsweisen Implementierung dieser Vorgaben einer kritischen Analyse unterzogen.

ILR: Two Years On

This week marks the second anniversary of the International Law Reporter's inaugural post.

The idea behind ILR was straightforward - to bring you the latest and most interesting news and information on scholarship, events, and ideas in international law and related fields. An obvious corollary was that reports should reflect the wide range of scholarship out there - in terms of viewpoint, scholarly discipline, type of publication, and language. Another was that ILR's coverage must encompass the full scope of contemporary international law subjects. The assumption, in other words, was that folks interested in international law needed to know not only what was going on in their own particular specialty and in their own particular country but also what was going on in seemingly unrelated substantive areas and in unfamiliar journals published in different languages and in different parts of the world.

We've tried hard to do all this, but we know that there's always room for improvement. Suggestions are most welcome. And though we can't guarantee that we'll post everything we receive, we encourage you to contact us with announcements of events and publications.

ILR would not exist without the many visitors from all parts of the world who make this blog a part of their daily routine. Thanks for coming, and we hope you come back.

Workshops: Hurd, Lalive

Ian Hurd (Northwestern Univ. - Political Science) will give a talk today at the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law and Armed Conflict Trinity Term Seminar Series on "The Enigma of Article 2(4): Interests and Norms in IR Theory."

Pierre Lalive (Lalive et cie) will give a talk today at the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law's Friday Lunchtime Lecture Series on "Transnational Public Policy in International Arbitration."

New Issue: Internationales Handelsrecht

The latest issue of Internationales Handelsrecht (2009, no. 2) is out. Contents include:

• Peter Mankowski, Der Erfüllungsortsbegriff unter Art. 5 Nr. 1 lit. b EuGVVO - ein immer größer werdendes Rätsel?