Workshops on International Law 2008 (Mato Grosso do Sul, Brasil)

Convocation

Background.
The Workshops on International Law bring together professors of both public and private international law from prestigious universities in the Americas to discuss and analyze various aspects of the inter-American system and the teaching of international law, pursuant to OAS General Assembly declarations and resolutions on the development of international law.

Date and place.
The Workshops are being organized jointly by the General Secretariat of the Organization of American States, the Tribunal de Justiça of Mato Grosso do Sul, and the University for the Development of the State and Region of the Pantanal – UNIDERP.

The workshops will be held in Campo Grande, Mato Grosso do Sul in Brazil, from Monday, November 17 to Thursday, November 20, 2008.

Topics.
The Workshops program will focus on the following four main themes:

• Recent developments in private international law;
• Recent developments in public international law;
• The inter-American system;
• The teaching of international and inter-American law

Of the topics to be discussed, particular importance will be attached to analysis of current legal issues; exchanges of ideas and proposals for action aimed at improving the teaching of public and private international law; the strengthening of ties between academic institutions in the Americas; and promotion of the study of the inter-American system and its systematic inclusion in the international law programs of law faculties in the universities of the Hemisphere.

Methodology.
In the mornings there will be plenary sessions addressing each of the four aforementioned topics, which will be discussed and debated by professors and specialists invited to the Workshops. Each session will last three hours, whereby the first hour will be taken up with presentations of no more than 20 minutes per speaker, drawing attention to the importance of the subject, how it has developed, and the need for it to be incorporated in university curricula. The speakers will provide an extensive written version of their presentation by the first week of November, or at least an outline, so that the professors on the main panel can comment on it. The next two hours will be dedicated to debating the issues raised in the presentations.

There will be two types of guest: the professors around the main panel, who can participate in the debates during the mornings, and the rest of attendants who will be there as auditor only. It is estimated that there will be approximately 20 to 25 spaces available for the professors around the main panel.

In the afternoons, there will be sets of up to three presentations by professors and specialists, lasting up to 20 minutes per topic. During these sessions, all participants, including the one who where listening in the mornings will be able to take part by asking questions and/or making comments.

Guests and presenters must be present the entire week and play an active part in all panel discussions in the mornings and afternoons.

Likewise, the presenters must commit to sending a paper for publication in the volume on the Workshops to be edited after they have concluded.

Coordinator.
For the OAS General Secretariat, the coordinator is:

Luis Toro Utillano
Senior Legal Advisor
Department of International Law
Ltoro@oas.org
202-458-3562

For UNIDERP (Universidade para o Desenvolvimento do Estado e da Região do Pantanal), the coordinator is:

Tércio de Albuquerque
Professor of International Law
twa@twa.adv.br

Registration.
Anyone interested in participating should send an e-mail to the OAS Coordinator, at ltoro@oas.org by October 31, 2008.

Additional Information may be found at http://www.oas.org/dil/courses_seminars.htm