UIA Bar Leaders' Briefing - 2016
The Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA - International Association of Lawyers) is organising the UIA Bar Leaders' Briefing at the United Nations headquarters in New York on May 16, 2016.
This special meeting will be sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Liechtenstein to the United Nations.
Since 1997, the Union Internationale des Avocats has hosted at the United Nations a series of briefings for leaders of its member bars and law societies.
The meetings provide information about international law and policy developments at the United Nations that are of special interest to the legal profession and feature observations by senior United Nations officials and by representatives of Permanent Missions to the United Nations. Selected remarks, questions and comments by bar leaders from around the world offer opportunity for exchanges of thought. The briefings are geared towards enriching the policy planning of bars and law societies and towards facilitating cooperation with the United Nations and other intergovernmental institutions.
The 2016 Briefing Program commences with special observations from the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs and proceeds with an examination of three closely related main themes, each of which is central to an understanding of the acute demands presently placed on the international legal system and the rule of law. The three main themes throw light on the interconnection between human rights, sustainable development, and peace and security and underline the role of bars and law societies.
- Theme 1: Preventing and Ending Atrocity Crimes
The panel focuses on international institutions, principles and instruments, – as well as the related role of bars and law societies –, for preventing and ending atrocity crimes. Speakers will highlight the international concept of the Responsibility to Protect and efforts towards timely decision-making in the United Nations Security Council. A new Security Council code of conduct advanced by the ACT (Accountability, Coherence, Transparency) Group of States and by a French/Mexican initiative for the Security Council will receive special attention. The outcome pursued for the upcoming World Humanitarian Summit, the pacific settlement of disputes under the United Nations Charter, the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, and the potential and dangers of crisis mapping are further topics covered.
You can find the speaker's biographies for this Panel here
- Theme 2: International Law and Policy Responses to Migrants, Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons
Under this theme, a look at international and regional conventions highlights the significance of legal definitions and leads to questions of adequacy of the legal framework, including with regard to persons forced to flee due to environmental and economic threats to survival. Grounds for asylum, migration and gender equality, and migration and trafficking will be among the issues raised. Activities of international bodies, such as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the International Organization for Migration, and new governmental and non-governmental initiatives will be under consideration. The expectations for the United Nations Summit on September 19, 2016 on Addressing Large Movements of Refugees and Migrants are delineated as well.
You can find the speaker's biographies for this Panel here
You can also download the speakers' interventions for Panel 2:
Antonio el Hachem's contribution, moderator for Panel 2
Lakshmi Puri's intervention for Panel 2
- Theme 3: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, in particular Sustainable Development Goal 16 (Rule of Law)
The 2030 Agenda envisages a world where “no one is left behind” and sets out seventeen interrelated Sustainable Development Goals dedicated to synergy between economic development, social well-being and environmental protection. Of particular interest to bars and law societies, Sustainable Development Goal 16 - often referred to as the Rule of Law Goal - strives towards “peaceful, just and inclusive societies”. Speakers focus on some of the targets under the Goal, such as access to justice and the substantial reduction of corruption and illicit financial flows, while pointing to the linkage with other Goals and to the interdependence with peace and security. The adequacy of the official indicators to measure progress, the conflict between monitoring and the right to privacy, and the venues for the participation of bars and law societies will be part of the discussion.
You can find the speaker's biographies for this Panel here
You can also download the speakers' interventions for Panel 3:
You can access Claudio Lachamia's intervention, OAB President and panel 3 moderator, in english or in portuguese
Useful links to prepare for the meeting:
- Opening Segment (Welcome, Keynote Adresss, Remarks)
- Theme 1: Agenda for Humanity - Annex to the Report of the Secretary-General for the World Humanitarian Summit
Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court
General Assembly Resolution, Enhancement of international cooperation in the field of human rights
Responsability to protect - Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide
Documents and publication from Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide
- Theme 2 : Convention and protocol relating to the status of refugees
High level plenary meeting on addressing large movements of refugees and migrants
OCHA, Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement
General Assembly Resolution on assistance to refugees, returnees and displaced persons in Africa
Secretary General urges joint action on refugees and migrants
- Theme 3 : Briefing Note on the High-Level Thematic Debate on Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals – 2 April 2016 (link for the event here)
Human Rights Guide to the SDGs, Danish Institute for Human Rights
Transforming our World: the 2030 Agenda for Substainable Developments
Table on Sustainable Development Goals and Human Rights
Goal 16: Promote just, peaceful and inclusive societies
Guiding principles on business and Human Rights
To access the pictures of the briefing, click here!
You can download the speakers' biographies :
Opening and Closing Remarks speakers
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This event is reserved for UIA’s collective members and their representatives. Participation is free and those wishful of attending must register with UIA.
If you are not yet a UIA member, please contact us.