DiversityInclusionFrom an L&D perspective, the difficulties faced during the pandemic have made it clear that all organisations would be sensible to adopt more agile approaches to learning in order to improve performance, and embrace educational techniques that meet the opportunities and challenges of the adjusted world we now live in. One of the many dilemmas of L&D is figuring out how to use advances in technology as a means of engaging learners and improving access to learning for a more diverse audience with different needs and preferences. This session will be led by industry experts in learning design and delivery who will provide an insight into how a digital approach to learning can best serve learners of the future.

DiversityInclusionIn April 2022, the world will gather at the 15th Conference of Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity and the 4th meeting of parties to the Nagoya Protocol, major international treaties aimed at protecting biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge.
On this occasion, the international community is expected to assess the effectiveness of these instruments to achieve the outlined objectives, including ensuring the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits obtained by accessing and using traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities to carry out research and development of products and services.
Taking advantage of this perfect timing, we propose to carry out a panel that can take stock of this international meeting while discussing current issues on the protection and enhancement of associated traditional knowledge from three different perspectives:

Theme 1: The effectiveness of the Nagoya Protocol and the Convention on Biological Diversity in promoting the sharing of benefits obtained from the use of traditional knowledge: reality or fiction?

DiversityInclusionThe investment industry is known for its poor diversity.  Awareness is growing. ESG criteria are now mainstream and diversity is becoming a key concern to asset managers. How do you shape a diversity culture in the investment world? How do you establish suitable goals and reward management for achievement? This session will aim at examining how investors influence and promote diversity.

Over the last decade directors and officers of public and private companies have increasingly become targets in civil litigation, government investigations, and enforcement actions. In today’s claims and regulatory environment — with civil actions of many stripes often naming individual directors and officers as defendants and stepped-up enforcement activity by regulatory bodies — directors and officers are sharply aware that their personal assets may be at risk.  
Beyond the securities and derivative suits, SPAC-related claims, threats bearing down on the economy (supply-chain disruption; labor shortages; and economic inflation), D&O claims following in the wake of cybersecurity incidents and with investors and companies being ever more concerned with climate change, their carbon footprint and board diversity, an area of growth for D&O claims is anticipated.

Discussion will centre on the results of the study in England and Wales, Spain and Uganda, (in addition to seeing where we are in other jurisdictions underway), exploring the early findings. The discussion will delve into the root causes of gender inequality at senior levels of the legal profession, (looking at challenges such as child care, work life balance, menopause support, culture) and consider whether specific diversity initiatives yield meaningful impact. More broadly it will explore the situation of women lawyers post pandemic and in the context of wider sustainability concerns.

SustainabilityFocusD&I is commonly seen as a crucial component of the social pillar of ESG. Media and from institutional investors are now incorporating ESG considerations within their investment processes.

DiversityInclusionThe expectation for equitable, socially inclusive, and environmentally sustainable practices and behaviour from extractive industries investors has never been greater.

DiversityInclusionWe have an ambivalent attitude towards oldness. It is both venerated and despised in equal measure. Age is often omitted, curiously forgotten, and regularly maligned. And yet, age is a characteristic or attribute that is recognised globally as deserving of protection under discrimination and equal opportunity legislation.

 In this notorious case, it was held that coloured people were property and, as chattels, were not entitled to citizenship of the United States and the protection of its Constitution.

A joint open meeting of the Employment and Industrial Relations Law Committee and the Diversity and Equality Law Committee held to discuss matters of interest and future activities.

As per the WHO, obesity has reached epidemic proportions globally, and the obesity numbers have nearly tripled since 1975. At the same time data from the US suggests that weight stigma and discrimination has been increasing. Obesity discrimination has many negative effects on the mental wellbeing and prosperity of the affected people and there have been several reports in the US indicating a ‘wage penalty’ on people being overweight or obese.

DiversityInclusionHumanRightsNow that the pandemic is endemic, remote work issues have become vexatious for both employers and employees. Both employers and employees are struggling to make sense of today’s application of pandemic employment, immigration, compensation/benefits/rewards, tax, discrimination and diversity practices.

This panel will address those issues and offer both legal and practical solutions and best practices for employers in their quest to retain talent post-pandemic without compromising future business imperatives brought on by potential industry downturns. Employer compliance, business demands and employee health and welfare will be addressed by discussing risks and benefits, needs and wants, law versus policy and current employment practices against possible terminations.

While Covid-19 has been the greatest global catastrophe since World War II, the unprecedented needs of humankind have imposed multiple changes in the healthcare and life sciences industries. The traditional supply chain models have been rapidly surpassed, scientific research made notable progress, the funds invested in the industries have soared and telemedicine has come to stay. The healthcare and life sciences industries have a new face and are exposed to challenges which were almost unknown up to very recent times. Those are some of the issues this session is going to address, with special emphasis on the role of policy-makers, regulators and lawyers.

DiversityInclusionThe pandemic has disrupted the lives of many and has had a major impact on workplaces across the globe. As countries emerge from the pandemic in 2022, we take stock of what Covid-19 has meant for diversity and equality and whether Covid-19 has been an unexpected diversity catalyst for positive change or has had a disproportionate impact on certain sectors and further entrenched disadvantage? In either case, governments and the public and private sector have a crucial role to play in developing diversity responsive recovery policies and initiatives, to ensure we 'build forward fairer' consistent with the ILO's global call to action for a human-centred recovery from the Covid-19 crisis that is 'inclusive, sustainable and resilient.' This session will cover:  - socio-economic impact of the Covid-19 Pandemic on global labour markets and workplaces  - case studies from across the globe  - role of governments and the public and private sectors in developing and implementing diversity-responsive policies and initiatives for the Covid-19 recovery.

SustainabilityFocusEnvironmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria are increasingly coming to the fore in the minds of governments, investors and consumers. Governments are increasing regulation in areas such as gender, racial, and socio-economic diversity, corporate governance and anti-bribery and corruption regulation of companies.

DiversityInclusionWomen's equality in various fields and sectors, such as workplaces, marketplaces and the community should be the normality. Relevant presence and influence of women in the Law should not be the exception.

While great strides have been made across the globe to deepen and solidify the rule of law in 800 years, new challenges have emerged since 2015 to threaten progress made in countries where the rule of law previously seemed stable and uncontroversial.

Our diverse and prominent panel of speakers, including speakers who have served at the highest levels in government, will explore the role of the executive in ensuring domestic rule of law, and how executive overreach can and has result in rule of law failures.