Evening Lecture: 'The Past, Present and Future of the Indus Waters Treaty: A View from Practice' - Cameron Miles, 3VB

TIme: 5 pm - 6 pm followed by drinks reception from 6 pm - 6.30 pm

In-person event only

The Indus Waters Treaty is often hailed as one of the most ambitious and successful riparian agreements of the 20th century.  No matter how fractious the relations between its Parties, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Republic of India, the Treaty has ensured that water rights have never become a flashpoint for further conflict as between them.  Over time, however, the Treaty has become controversial, as multiple and compounding hydropower disputes between Pakistan and India are coupled with domestic calls for reform on both sides of the Line of Control.  In this talk, Cameron Miles – counsel for Pakistan in the ongoing Indus Waters Treaty Arbitration and Neutral Expert Proceedings – offers an introduction to the Treaty and to the proceedings under it, before addressing how his own practice has been shaped by its contours.  The talk offers insights not only for international lawyers interested in relations between Pakistan and India, but for those who might want to enter into the practice of such disputes themselves.  

Cameron Miles specialises in public international law and international commercial and investment treaty arbitration. His practice as a leading junior is split between domestic and international courts and tribunals. In England, he has developed a market-leading practice on state immunity and enforcement matters heard in the Commercial Court, that also takes him to the Court of Appeal and Supreme Court. He also advises on such proceedings in other common law jurisdictions, including Australia and New Zealand. Elsewhere, he has appeared in high-stakes proceedings before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, and the International Court of Justice.  In the arbitral arena, Cameron has developed considerable expertise in investment treaty arbitration, appearing in 16 separate proceedings, whether during the initial arbitration, in relation to post-award remedies, or in relation to arbitration-related applications in the English courts.