What Promises will States Keep “Beyond National Jurisdiction?”
The Society's 114th Annual Meeting—and first Virtual Annual Meeting—took place June 25–26, 2020. The 2020 Annual Meeting theme, "The Promise of International Law," was an opportunity to reflect on the successes and failures of international law, while reaffirming our commitment to achieving its promise of a more just and peaceful world.
Is the need for transnational cooperation in areas beyond the territorial jurisdiction of states sufficient to overcome the resentments and anxieties of polarization and nationalism? This session will test the hypothesis that increasing numbers of states engaged in increasing activities in outer space and the ocean is creating a dynamic space for international law. It will also question whether formal legal instruments, such as the marine Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction agreement being negotiated at this very moment, are the ideal vehicle for promises that states will keep. If not, what are the alternatives? The session will address questions of resource and security conflicts, the actors involved in these two diverse spaces, the impetus for negotiation and decisions that led to the formal agreement that resulted, and compliance mechanisms.
FEATURING
Brian Egan, Steptoe & Johnson LLP
Stefan Kirchner, Artic Center, University of Lapland
Cymie Payne, Rutgers University (Moderator)
Lydia Slobodian, Serova
(Speaker organizations are shown as of June 2020)