The IBA organises over fifty specialist and regional conferences each year in addition to the Annual Conference and the costs involved are very considerable. In order to contain those costs, the IBA through the guidelines set out in the division handbooks has established well defined rules that must be followed so as to ensure that there is conformity in determining to what costs the IBA may be exposed in relation to any particular event.
The rules are detailed and deal with many issues including registration fee waivers, speakers’ expenses and entertainment costs. The rules have served the IBA well in the past and are appropriate for the future.
The LPD is committed to ensure the highest quality of programmes and calibre of speakers at the sessions that it promotes. There is concern amongst the LPD officers that the current policies sometimes stand in the way of putting on the highest quality sessions. A relaxation of the rules is desirable from time to time to enable certain costs to be paid that are likely to lead to enrichment of the quality of a programme. It is clear that it may sometimes be advantageous to pay certain costs outside the guidelines; for example to a world business leader, regulator, to some academics or NGO representatives, if it can be demonstrated that such a payment is likely to enrich the programme and increase the quality of the relevant session.
The LPD officers, the IBA President and the Executive Director recommend the creation of a fund to cover on an exceptional basis, expenses and other matters related to LPD sessions which are not permitted by the guidelines set out in the LPD Handbook.
The fund shall cover exceptional expenses to secure speakers as well as expenses incurred by speakers and organisers of sessions at the LPD specialist and regional conferences and LPD sessions at the Annual Conferences. An application to the Fund shall be made by an officer of the relevant LPD committee to the IBA Treasurer, who in consultation with the other LPD officers, shall have absolute discretion to agree to pay part of or the entire sum sought or to decline the application.
To apply to the fund, please complete this form and return to ronnie.hayward@int-bar.org.
