The Plenary Sessions

The role of international law and international institutions during the Cold War (1949-1989) is generally recognised. Take the arrangements for Germany, the control of nuclear proliferation, decolonization, the development of human rights standards and mechanisms, the codification of the law of the sea, the beginnings of environmental regulation and the Helsinki process. But how have international law and international institutions fared in the 21 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall? The 4th ESIL Biennial Conference sets out to appraise their performance. We will look at both theory and practice, both at particular sectors and overall at the ‘Gross International Product’. We will reflect on how they have been, how they might have been and how they might still be. And since neither law nor institutions act of their own motion, we will ask how we have performed as international lawyers, what others have made of our work and what imaginative possibilities remain.

The Opening Plenary Session comprised the official conference opening, a Keynote Paper by Professor Andrew Hurrell and a panel discussion.