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Welcome to E-news -
October 2009 |
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His Majesty, the King of Spain opens 2009 IBA Annual Conference in Madrid
 The opening ceremony of this year’s IBA Annual Conference in Madrid on Sunday 4 October was attended by 2,000 delegates.
The King of Spain, Juan Carlos I, gave a speech to attendees highlighting the great tradition of legal science and scholarship in the Spanish legal system, before welcoming the audience to Madrid and the conference.
 Quentin Peel, International Affairs Editor of the Financial Times, also addressed the opening ceremony. He considered whether in light of the financial crisis, there was now a new international order emerging, and if so, what it might look like. His address focused on the G20 and the need to develop and implement a universal set of rules that could stabilise economies worldwide and avoid future financial crises.
To see more highlights from the IBA Annual Conference 2009, click here.
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The Right Honourable Mr Morgan Tsvangirai, Prime Minister of Zimbabwe, makes an impression at the IBA Annual Conference
 The IBA was honoured to welcome some extremely distinguished guests to the Annual Conference this year, including Mr Tsvangirai who gave the IBA an exclusive, in-depth 45-minute interview.
He was in Madrid to receive a prestigious award from the IBA in recognition of his inspiring leadership in the struggle to secure the rule of law in Zimbabwe.
Mr Tsvangirai addressed the Legal Practice Division lunch meeting on Wednesday 7 October, talking of his decision to share power with President Robert Mugabe and outlining what the coalition has achieved so far, his hopes for the future of Zimbabwe, and the importance of upholding the rule of law.
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IBA Pro Bono Declaration online survey – seeking your input
The Pro Bono and Access to Justice Committee has launched an online survey regarding the IBA Pro Bono Declaration of October 2008. The aim of the survey is to promote awareness of the Declaration, to encourage dialogue on its issues, and to identify further work and support that the committee may undertake to foster broader engagement in pro bono activities.
Please click here to respond to the survey online.
Please take a couple of minutes and answer the questions in this brief survey. The committee plans to collate the results and use them in preparing a survey report. Please provide your answers as soon as possible. The more the committee leadership, and the IBA, can learn through this survey, the more able the Association will be to further the needs of its members.
For any queries, suggestions or thoughts on how the survey can be improved please e-mail them either to Robin Sully at robins@cba.org or to Tim Soutar, at tim.soutar@cliffordchance.com.
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Business and human rights in the DRC debate
 On 21 September, the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) and the International Legal Assistance Consortium (ILAC) held an event on business and human rights in the Democratic Republic of Congo, following the release of the report, Rebuilding courts and trust, in August. The debate explored the exploitation of natural resources, incidences of sexual violence, and the needs and failings of the justice system. Chaired by IBA Human Rights Institute Programme Lawyer Marie-Pierre Olivier, the panel consisted of Christian Ahlund, Executive Director of ILAC, Lawrence Cockcroft, Board Member at Transparency International UK, Patricia Feeney, Executive Director of Rights and Accountability in Development and Anneke Von Woudenberg, Senior Researcher at Human Rights Watch. With more than 80 participants, from NGOs, governments and private firms, the evening explored some difficult and poignant questions on the troubled state.
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To watch the debate on the IBA website click here.
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IBA Annual Conference exceeds expectations
As the dust settles in Madrid it is becoming clear that the 2009 Annual Conference has once again exceeded all expectations, and has topped last year's - then record breaking - event in Buenos Aires in both quality and quantity. With around 5,000 delegates in attendance, who in turn brought a further 800 or so guests, Spain’s capital resounded with the global voice of the legal profession throughout the week.
Initial feedback regarding the conference has been extremely positive. While delegates have stated that there were too many highlights to single out any one moment, the IBA website features coverage of a selection of memorable events, two of which are reported in news items above.
The IBA now turns its attention to next year, when from the 3-8 October 2010, Vancouver will host the next Annual Conference. Full details will be sent to all members by April next year. You can find out more by visiting the preliminary Vancouver 2010 web page.
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IBAHRI survey of African Bars
The IBAHRI will be conducting a survey of African Bars, beginning with a pilot project in West Africa this month. The project, funded by the MacArthur Foundation, will see an IBAHRI programme lawyer and a legal expert selected by the IBAHRI conduct interviews with the presidents and staff of the national bar associations of The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone.
Each of these countries presents specific characteristics that make the analysis of their bar association particularly pertinent: notably Nigeria, which holds the seat of the West African Bar Association, and Liberia, as a post-conflict state. A report will be drafted based on the observations of the IBAHRI programme lawyer and the legal expert, paying special attention to the bars’ capacities and needs as regards international justice and their interaction with regional justice mechanisms and civil society.
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Recent developments in BASESwiki website project on non-judicial dispute resolution between business and society
 The BASESwiki project continues to grow and expand its global coverage. In recent weeks, the project has been showcased at various events and substantial entries have been created for Italy, South Africa and the UK. All are welcome to participate.
More>>
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Parliamentary strengthening programme to visit Lebanon
An IBAHRI programme lawyer will be travelling to Lebanon this month to meet with local partners and develop IBA involvement with the Westminster Consortium for Parliaments and Democracy (WCPD). The WCPD is a group of organisations which was established to help developing parliaments set up sustainable centres of learning for their staff and members and has come out of a need to increase the capacities of parliaments in order to ensure good governance through capabilities, accountability and responsiveness. Supporting the development of parliaments is an important and vital challenge to all organisations working in the field of democratic governance, and the Consortium has been formed by bringing together leading experts in the fields of parliamentary practice, financial oversight and communications to develop learning schemes based on international best practice. As part of the wider project, the IBAHRI will run three day courses focussed on the role of parliaments in upholding the rule of law and the implementation of constitutional and human rights obligations. Courses are currently being planned in Macedonia, Ukraine, Uganda, Lebanon and Mozambique.
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10th Anniversary of the UN Global Compact
The Corporate Social Responsibility Committee of the IBA is working on a project to prepare a joint UNGC/IBA video for the 10th anniversary of the UN Global Compact in June 2010. Its purpose is to develop the awareness of lawyers on how to minimise risk and advise on legal issues associated with corporate responsibility. The video will address the ten UNGC principles, and focus on four key areas: human rights, labour standards, the environment, and anti-corruption. The committee has identified a number of high-level potential speakers on these topics. As you may be aware, the UNGC is a UN initiative designed to encourage businesses worldwide to adopt sustainable and socially responsible practices, and report on their implementation.
For further information on the UN Global Compact click here.
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IBA Membership
 Help us increase our network. If you know of anyone who would benefit from membership of the IBA please download our updated New Member Newsletter and e-mail them a copy. As a part of the membership benefits it should be noted that the majority of our conferences have both a member and non-member fee. If your colleague wishes to attend a conference they can save money by signing up and the getting the discounted fee. Furthermore, now that we have entered September, any new members joining the IBA will pay for 2010 and receive the remainder of this year for free.
If you have not yet renewed, we urge you to do so. The current economic situation has underlined the need for a global perspective. The IBA recognises this need and our numerous publications, networking opportunities and comprehensive set of specialist conferences are designed to support our position as the global voice of the legal profession. You can alter and pay your current membership invoice in the ‘My IBA’ section of our website.
Please feel free to use this opportunity to give us feedback by sending us your thoughts to member@int-bar.org.
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