Actualités 2021

Online Conference : Non-State Actors, Energy, and International Law

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One of the most prominent features of the current international society is the increasingly significant role played by non-State actors. Not only has there been a remarkable increase in the number and diversity of non-State actors, but their activities have become more transboundary in nature and more impactful, to the point of adding a new dimension of complexity to the theory and practice of international law. The presence and influence of non-State actors is especially felt in the energy sector, where a large number and a wide variety of non-governmental organizations, multinational corporations, individuals, communities, and groups are playing an ever larger role in shaping the development of international law in this area. The strong diversity among the non-State actors active in the energy sector explains the rich variety of issues and questions that their presence poses from an international law perspective.

This conference is intended to tackle these complex issues and questions, by examining the role played by non-State actors in the energy sector—and the way in which international law addresses such role—from three interrelated angles. First, a number of non-State actors, such as individuals and indigenous communities, are seen as the legitimate holders of certain rights, and the role of international law is to ensure that such rights are in no way threatened or harmed by energy activities. Second, non-State actors involved in the energy sector can themselves contribute to violating said rights or causing environmental damage in the conduct of their activities. In this context the question is raised as to whether and how to hold these actors accountable for the impact of their activities. Finally, non-State actors can be seen as playing an increasingly important role in the creation and development of the international norms and standards applicable to energy in a variety of subfields, whether through their participation in lawmaking or adjudication.

The conference will be held online on June 30, 2021 (14:00-17:30). The online conference is open to the public. You can find the program and the Zoom link here.

Co-organizers: Dr. Elena Cima (University of Geneva, Faculty of Law/ISE),
and Prof. Makane Moïse Mbengue (University of Geneva, Faculty of Law).

24 juin 2021
  Actualités 2021