Asian peoples, civilizations and societies have interacted with each other for centuries. In doing so, they established complex diplomatic relations and extensive trading arrangements, entered into treaties, formulated rules regarding the treatment of foreigners and devised ways of resolving conflicts. The great religious and philosophical teachings of the continent developed far-reaching principles and ideas on issues central to governance-the relationship between rulers and the ruled, society and economy, the conduct of foreign relations, and war and peace. Many Asian societies in the sixteenth century were amongst the most powerful, prosperous, and technologically advanced in the world. The expanding reach of Western imperialism from that time onwards presented a profound challenge to Asian societies which were confronted by a rapidly changing international environment—one in which their own institutions, traditions, and customs were treated as inferior and inadequate. These societies, furthermore, found themselves having to comply with international rules that they generally played no role in creating and that were formulated by Western powers intent on legitimizing their own expansion and domination.
Since that time, Asian states, together with African and Latin American states with which they had much in common, have continuously attempted to transform international law in order to make it more properly representative of the many civilizations and communities of the world. The Bandung Conference of 1955, which led to the formation of the Non-Aligned Movement, was an especially significant attempt on the part of the peoples of Asia and Africa to make their voices heard in the international arena.
The international community is now entering a new era, one in which a discernible shift has taken place in the distribution of global power. Asia, once more, is emerging as an extremely dynamic, prosperous, and innovative region. At the same time, it must be noted that Asia is an extraordinarily diverse continent; it contains many distinctive civilizations, and it includes states that are among the wealthiest and poorest in the world. Tensions exist between Asian states, and an overwhelming number of people in Asia continue to be vulnerable to oppression, poverty, environmental disasters, and the ravages of conflict.
It is in this context that the Asian Society of International Law meets in Beijing. The general purpose of the Conference is to explore the many issues confronting the peoples of Asia and the international community more generally. The topics that will be addressed include, broadly, human rights, international economic law and private international law, the law of the sea, development and the environment, international law relating to security and conflict, and the history and theory of international law. A panel will be devoted to the crucial issue of the teaching and dissemination of international law in Asia. The conference will explore Asian state practice, regional developments and the Asian traditions of international law, and the ways in which Asian societies are attempting to formulate and adapt international law to meet their needs and their growing economies. At the same time, the conference will examine developments in international law more broadly. Both Asian and international perspectives on the selected topics are welcome, as it is only when international lawyers are fully conscious of the changing international political environment, and truly understand the economic needs and social conditions of both the developed and developing world that they can genuinely facilitate the creation of a system which helps ensure equal opportunities and mutual benefits for all parties and thus contribute towards achieving the great and enduring goals of international law: global justice, peace, and prosperity.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
Conference: AsianSIL 3rd Biennial Conference
The Asian Society of International Law will hold its third biennial conference on August 27-28, 2011, in Beijing. The theme is "Asia and International Law: A New Era." The tentative program is here. Papers are being posted here. Here's the idea:
