Tuesday, April 7, 2015

ASIL Annual Meeting Panel: The Role of International Law in Negotiating Peace

I have had the privilege of serving on the Program Committee of this year's ASIL Annual Meeting, which begins tomorrow, with specific responsibilities for two panels in the final program. Both panels are excellent. Here's the first (which, uniquely, includes the showing of a film); a second will be highlighted in the next post.

The Role of International Law in Negotiating Peace

Thursday, 2:45 pm – 4:45 pm

Room: Regency D

In 2011, representatives from Serbia and Kosovo met for the first time since Kosovo had declared independence three years earlier, and cameras recorded the action. Using this footage, the documentary "The Agreement" shows these critical talks on peaceful coexistence between Serbia and Kosovo. This two-hour session includes both a viewing and a moderated discussion of the film. The discussion will consider the following questions: To what extent can negotiators help drive the peacemaking process or achieve a lasting peace? How does international law help (or not help) bring the parties to the table, and buttress (or undermine) their positions in the negotiating process? More generally, to what extent does international law play a role in each actor’s decision making process?

Moderator: Veronika Fikfak, University of Cambridge

Speakers:

  • Andrew Ladley, Victoria University of Wellington
  • Carne Ross, Independent Diplomat
  • Marc Weller, University of Cambridge