Conference programme

Global trends, challenges and opportunities for the advancement of equality in 2026 and beyond.

Is the enthusiasm for regulation of business waning in the EU? Will the current US administration effectively further deregulate sectors of its economy?

Law firms and in-house departments are rethinking the structure of their legal teams. With the rapid integration of AI tools, process automation and legal technology, many routine and repetitive tasks traditionally assigned to junior lawyers are being replaced by technology or delegated to alternative service providers. This has led to a declining demand for traditional junior roles and a growing need for professionals capable of combining legal reasoning with technological fluency, data literacy, project management and interdisciplinary collaboration. This panel will explore how, in rapidly changing legal environments, lawyers must combine legal expertise with business, policy and technical acumen to drive innovation and value creation. It will highlight emerging professional paths, new firm structures and education/training needed to support this transformation. 

Recent geopolitical developments have highlighted significant risks associated with dependence on the ‘Big 3' US hyperscale cloud providers. ‘Digital sovereignty’ is now the mantra, but is it feasible to build national or regional clouds that are secure from foreign government interference, while delivering an appropriate level of functionality and resilience? Meanwhile, there is an acute awareness, especially in Eastern Europe and the Nordic countries, that restricting critical data to in-country or even regional infrastructure may be a major vulnerability in the event of a remote attack or physical invasion. Contrary to the calls for data localisation, might it be better in terms of security and sovereignty to move, or at least replicate, essential processes and data outside a particular country or region? Can cloud providers and nation states establish data embassy arrangements that ensure legally robust sovereign cloud havens for critical national data? In the meantime, what should business customers be doing to manage their dependence on foreign providers of critical cloud services?

Bilateral investment treaties, exit taxes, is Denmark the answer, there is something rotten in the state of Denmark.

This session will examine how interactions between lawyers and judges in court can either support or undermine the delivery of justice. It will explore professional boundaries, ethical considerations and courtroom dynamics and their impact on fairness, perception and outcomes.

This panel will focus on the pressing issues facing international commercial arbitration practice, procedure, and practitioners.

As robots transition from controlled industrial settings into public spaces and private homes, their deployment raises significant legal and regulatory considerations. Service, caregiving, and security robots increasingly rely on continuous environmental sensing, producing vast amounts of personal and biometric data, which triggers complex questions under privacy, data protection and surveillance laws. At the same time, autonomous decision-making in safety-critical contexts – such as factory patrols or disaster response – touches on liability allocation, product safety standards and the boundaries of human oversight. These developments also intersect with labour law and workforce policy, as automation begins to reshape job functions and employment structures.

This session will explore the evolving legal frameworks needed to govern human–robot coexistence in a manner that is safe, rights-respecting and socially beneficial. Panellists will discuss emerging regulatory models across jurisdictions, including data governance rules, certification and safety assurance regimes, accountability frameworks for autonomous decision systems and policy tools to support fair workforce transitions. The conversation will consider how legislators, regulators, industry and civil society can collaborate to ensure that robotic technologies enhance human dignity, public trust and equitable societal outcomes. 

The session will analyse how organisations assess the real impact of diversity and inclusion initiatives through data, KPIs, reporting tools and qualitative indicators. It will discuss the opportunities and limitations of measurement, ethical and privacy considerations, and how evidence-based approaches can strengthen informed decision-making, culture and long-term strategy. The session will also reflect on recent and ongoing initiatives to assess inclusion within professional associations.

From landmark settlements to bold procedural twists, this session will bring together leading litigators from around the world to share their most captivating class actions of the past year. Expect stories of courage, controversy, and courtroom innovation. Join us to discover how collective redress is redefining accountability across borders.

Business-to-business disputes involving defective products increasingly span multiple jurisdictions and industries, from construction and manufacturing to life sciences, energy and technology. This panel brings together global dispute resolution experts focused on product law to explore how alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms — particularly mediation and arbitration — are used to resolve such disputes. The session will also address the procedural and substantive complexities of gathering, presenting and evaluating evidence, including expert testimony, across diverse legal systems.

In a world with increasing geopolitical and other tensions and a rising demand for and dependence on electricity for all sorts of human activity the security of supply of power becomes more and more important. This session will focus on the physical and cyber threats to infrastructure related to power production, transmission, storage, risk of damage by sabotage, cyberattacks, military action etc.

We will explore the exposure to these risks and how they are related to the overall resilience and total defence of our economies and societies, the related legal regimes at national and international level and how the risks can be managed in connection with the planning of energy policy and investment, construction and operation and management of these assets and systems, as well as the ability take legal action and enforce legal rights in the event of damage or interruption.

The rise of social media has transformed the global landscape of free expression — but it has also raised complex criminal law and human rights questions. This panel will explore the tensions between freedom of speech, online safety and the prevention of crime in the digital age. Topics include the criminalisation of online hate speech and disinformation, state regulation of digital platforms, and the responsibilities of social media companies in balancing free expression with harm prevention. The discussion will also consider recent case law, jurisdictional challenges and the role of criminal justice systems in safeguarding both liberty and accountability in the online sphere.

The Addendum to CEDAW General Recommendation No 30 on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations is currently being finalised by the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). This addendum aims to address the critical role of women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations, particularly in relation to the Women Peace and Security (WPS) agenda. The addendum emphasises the importance of women's full, safe, equal and meaningful participation in all decisions impacting their lives, as it is essential for ending conflicts and aiding countries in recovery. The addendum also highlights the need to defend the WPS agenda and push for its full implementation to address the gendered harms caused by conflicts and to ensure equality and justice for women. 

This is a session that will be beneficial for you personally and for your firm’s success. By prioritising your wellbeing, you can sustain your productivity over time, continue to contribute valuable skills, and transform ageing from a challenge into a positive experience.

Join us for our open committee business meeting where all members and Officers are invited to learn more about the current and upcoming activities and developments of the Committee.