Conference: Regionalism in International Law / Le regionalisme dans le droit international

On May 3-4, 2021, an online conference will be held on "Regionalism in International Law / Le regionalisme dans le droit international." The conference is being organized under the auspices of the Faculty of Law of th eUniversity of Oslo, the Institut de recherche en droit international et européen de la Sorbonne of the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, the Institut für Völkerrecht und Europarecht of the University of Göttingen, the Centre d'Études Internationales et Européennes of the Université de Strasbourg, the Høgskolen i Innlandet, and the Centre Universitaire de Norvège à Paris. Program and access information are here.

Conference: Regionalism in international law / Le régionalisme dans le droit international

On February 10-11, 2020, Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne will host a conference on "Regionalism in international law / Le régionalisme dans le droit international." The program is here. Registration is here.

Kaher & MacIntyre: Integrating Regions: Asia in Comparative Context

Miles Kahler (Univ. of California, San Diego - International Relations and Political Science) & Andrew MacIntyre (Australian National Univ. - Political Science) have published Integrating Regions: Asia in Comparative Context (Stanford Univ. Press 2013). The table of contents is here. Here's the abstract:

The proliferation of regional institutions and initiatives in Asia over the past decade is unmatched in any other region of the world. The authors in this collection explore the distinctive features of these institutions by comparing them for the first time to the experience of other regions; from the elaborate institution-building of Europe to the more modest regional projects of the Americas. It is an opportune moment for this reassessment, as the European regional model faces a sovereign debt crisis while Asian economies see more secure sources of growth from their immediate neighbors. Asia's regional institutions display a distinctive combination of decision rules, commitment devices, and membership practices, shaped by underlying features of the region, the dynamics of regional integration, and the availability of institutional substitutes. Within this context, the authors propose changes that will better sustain the prosperity and peace that have marked Asia in recent decades.

Chase et al.: Mapping of Dispute Settlement Mechanisms in Regional Trade Agreements - Innovative or Variations on a Theme?

Claude Chase (World Trade Organization), Alan Yanovich (World Trade Organization), Jo-Ann Crawford (World Trade Organization), & Pamela Ugaz (Univ. of Geneva) have posted Mapping of Dispute Settlement Mechanisms in Regional Trade Agreements - Innovative or Variations on a Theme? Here's the abstract:

Regional trade agreements (RTAs) have become an indelible feature of the international trading landscape. Most, if not all, RTAs contain provisions that establish procedures for resolving disputes among their signatory members. Yet, the design and functioning of these dispute settlement mechanisms (DSMs) and, more specifically, how they differ from the WTO dispute settlement system remain relatively unexplored. Existing academic literature has primarily focused on the narrow issue of jurisdictional conflict between DSMs of RTAs and the WTO dispute settlement system. Literature mapping out and classifying systematically the DSMs of RTAs is more limited. This research paper goes beyond considering the issue of jurisdictional conflict between the multilateral and "regional" regimes. We map out the DSMs in RTAs that have been notified to the WTO and were in force at the end of 2012, and consider a typology of these DSMs based on their nature and design. We also use the data obtained from our mapping exercise in two ways. First, we identify trends and patterns of use, either regionally or by individual countries, of the different types of DSMs in RTAs. Trends are analysed in relation to five key factors: (i) evolution over time, (ii) level of economic development, (iii) regional characteristics, (iv) level of integration (partial scope agreement, free trade agreement or customs union), and (v) configuration (bilateral or plurilateral). Second, we undertake a "nuts and bolts" analysis of the DSMs of RTAs by examining their approach to various issues in international dispute settlement. Our aim is to draw conclusions about the extent to which the predominant type of DSM in RTAs has features that are different from those of the WTO dispute settlement system.

Trakman & Ranieri: Regionalism in International Investment Law

Leon Trakman (Univ. of New South Wales - Law) & Nicola Ranieri have published Regionalism in International Investment Law (Oxford Univ. Press 2013). The table of contents is here. Here's the abstract:

Regionalism in International Investment Law provides a multinational perspective on international investment law. In it, distinguished academics and practitioners provide a critical and comprehensive understanding of issues in a field which has grown exponentially in its importance particularly over the last decade, focusing on the European Union, Australia, North America, Asia, and China.

The book approaches the field of foreign direct investment from both academic and practical viewpoints and analyzes different bilateral, regional, and multinational agreements, often yielding competing perspectives. The academic perspective yields a strong conceptual foundation to often misunderstood elements of international investment law, while the practical perspective aids those actively pursuing foreign direct investment in better understanding the landscape, identifying potential conflicts which may arise, in more accurately assessing the risk underlying the issues in conflict and in resolving those issues.

Thorny issues relating to global commerce, sovereignty, regulation, expropriation, dispute resolution, and investor protections are covered, depicting how they have developed and are applied in different regions of the world. These different treatments ensure that readers are able grasp the subject matter at multiple levels and provide a comprehensive overview of developments in the field of foreign direct investment.

Douhan: Regional Mechanisms of Collective Security: The New Face of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter?

Alena F. Douhan (Belarusian State Univ. - Law) has published Regional Mechanisms of Collective Security: The New Face of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter? (L'Harmattan 2013). Here's the abstract:

The maintenance of international peace and security has always provided a fertile ground for disputes both in doctrine and in the field. Today, nearly seven decades after the adoption of the UN Charter, voices are often heard claiming that the Charter’s regime is obsolete and that greater autonomy is needed for regional organizations. In reality, few if any of these claims seek to establish valid mechanisms for the maintenance of international peace and security. Rather, they try to guarantee national or collective interests at the expense of the rule of law. This book, part of the habilitation thesis being prepared by the author, focuses on the changes, factors and activities that have appeared in the sphere of regional organizations’ operations during the last few decades, and tries to determine the face of collective security at the universal and regional levels.

Papers from ESIL's 5th Biennial Conference

I have been able to post notices for only some of the papers from the European Society of International Law's 5th Biennial Conference, which had as its theme "Regionalism and International Law." A full list of uploaded papers can be found here.

Sorel: Quelques Remarques à Propos de la Problématique de L’Intégration Dans le Cadre des Organisations Internationales à Vocation Universelle ou Régionale: Contre la Dictature de la Ligne Droite

Jean-Marc Sorel (Univ. of Paris 1 Pantheon-Sorbonne - Law) has posted Quelques Remarques à Propos de la Problématique de L’Intégration Dans le Cadre des Organisations Internationales à Vocation Universelle ou Régionale: Contre la Dictature de la Ligne Droite (A Few Comments About the Question of Integration Within Universal or Regional Organisations: Against One-Dimensional Thinking). Here's the abstract:

Aborder les questions du régionalisme, de l’organisation internationale et de l’intégration amène immanquablement à s’interroger sur les rapports entre organisation internationale et organisation régionale, tout comme sur les rapports entre universalisme et intégration. De la même manière, il est alors courant de considérer les expériences d’intégration, notamment régionales, comme plus favorables à la stabilité économique, à la paix ou à la rencontre des cultures, le cadre de l’Union européenne étant souvent cité. Outre que l’actuelle crise européenne permet de remettre en cause ce modèle positif, cela permet aussi de s’interroger sur les fondements de l’intégration en relation avec les organisations internationales. En clair, faut-il toujours et systématiquement considérer l’intégration comme étant positive ? A l’aide de quelques binômes oppositionnels, nous tenterons de nous interroger sur cette question. Plus qu’un questionnement sur le droit positif, c’est une interrogation épistémologique qui surgit sous cet angle.

It is commonly thought that integration, in particular at the regional level, is beneficial to economic stability, peace and cultural encounters, and the European Union is often cited as a case in point. The recent European crisis brings this "positive" image of integration into question. It also leads one to question the foundations of integration in relation to international organisations. The present paper asks: is integration always a good thing? It answers the question using a series of binary oppositions. More than a analysis of positive law, this paper engages in an epistemological questioning of integration. Note: Downloadable document is in French.

Villalpando: L’Évolution des Relations Entre les Nations Unies et les Organisations Régionales de la Charte à nos Jours

Santiago Villalpando (Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations) has posted L’Évolution des Relations Entre les Nations Unies et les Organisations Régionales de la Charte à nos Jours (The Evolving Relations Between the UN and Regional Organisations From 1945 to Date). Here's the abstract:

La présente contribution a pour objectif de faire le point sur le cadre institutionnel dans lequel se placent les relations entre les Nations Unies et les organisations régionales. Si cette question se trouve en amont des thèmes de fond traités par d’autres panels de ce colloque, elle n’en reste pas moins essentielle pour appréhender les succès et les défis du régionalisme en droit international. La coopération entre organisations internationales est en effet la cheville ouvrière de l’interaction entre l’universel et le régional dans des domaines aussi variés que la coopération économique, le maintien de la paix et de la sécurité internationales, la protection de l’environnement ou la promotion des droits de l’homme.

This paper examines the institutional framework within which the relationship between the UN and regional organisations is taking place. Though in a sense preliminary to the more substantive issues addressed in other panels, this question is essential to our understanding of the successes and failures of regionalism in international law. The coooperation between international organisations represents the cornerstone of the interaction between universalism and regionalism in areas such as economic integration, international peace and security, environmental protection or human rights. Note: Downloadable document is in French.

Fawcett: The History and Concept of Regionalism

Louise Fawcett (Univ. of Oxford - Politics and International Relations) has posted The History and Concept of Regionalism. Here's the abstract:

The growth of regionalism expressed as formal regional organization has received a great deal of scholarly attention since the Second World War. From its early days regionalism has been much debated, and alternatively praised for its potential and critiqued for its ill-defined nature and limited capacity. However, by the start of the 21st century, if not before, regionalism was well established in the vocabulary of International Relations scholars and practitioners such that it would be hard to imagine a world without it.

Doumbé-Billé: La régionalisation du droit international

Stéphane Doumbé-Billé (Université Lyon 3 - Law) has published La régionalisation du droit international (Bruylant 2012). Here's the abstract:

Cet ouvrage met en lumière le phénomène de régionalisation du droit international. Il s’articule autour de trois axes : les domaines touchés par la régionalisation, les degrés de celle-ci ainsi que ses interactions.

Illy: L'OMC et le régionalisme: Le régionalisme africain

Ousseni Illy has published L'OMC et le régionalisme: Le régionalisme africain (Larcier 2012). Here's the abstract:

Le régionalisme et l’universalisme ont toujours entretenu des rapports complexes dans les relations internationales. La volonté du second de mettre sous contrôle le premier – sans jamais y être parvenu véritablement – remonte notamment au lendemain de la Première Guerre mondiale, où le régionalisme, à travers les alliances, a été indexé par les Américains et de nombreux intellectuels comme l’une des causes ayant entraîné la guerre.

Le présent ouvrage analyse ces rapports dans un domaine particulier des relations internationales, à savoir celui du commerce international. L’analyse est faite à la lumière des accords commerciaux régionaux africains et transafricains afin de mettre en exergue l’apport et l’insertion du régionalisme commercial africain dans le système commercial multilatéral de l’OMC. L’auteur y défend en particulier l’idée selon laquelle un régionalisme commercial africain bien compris – signifiant par là le démantèlement effectif des obstacles au commerce intra-africain – aiderait à une meilleure insertion de l’Afrique dans le commerce mondial.