Initiatives of Intergovernmental Organizations as a Response to Crises and Unforeseen Needs

On the 28th July, at 13:30 CEST, the Opening Keynote Panel of the conference will be held in hybrid format, virtually and at the University of Geneva, and will be open to the public. Nicola Bonucci will introduce the core issues that the symposium will aim to address and moderate the discussion on the enhancement of IGO responsibilities as a response to crises between Laurence Boisson de Chazournes, Anabel González, Sean Hagan, Guy Fiti Sinclair, and Anne Trebilcock.

The Panel will endeavour to create bridges between practitioners and the academic community, with practitioners giving 'insider accounts' of the tectonic shifts occurring within IGOs' mandated activities, and academics providing a holistic and theoretical overview of IGO change. The Panel aims to tease out the complexities inherent to the evolution of internal IGO law and find parallels or principles that apply across IGOs.

This Keynote Panel opens the symposium on the 'Evolution of IGOs: Initiatives and Enhanced Responsibilities' that will be held on 28th and 29th of July 2022 at the University of Geneva (under Chatham House rules and upon invitation). The symposium brings together distinguished practitioners and academics with expertise in the evolution of IGOs' activities and mandates. This symposium is the result of a research project of Professor Gabrielle Marceau (UNIGE, WTO) that has compiled close to 100 historical 'Initiatives' of IGOs as a response to crises or fundamental societal changes.

The symposium is sponsored by the Department of Public International Law and International Organisation of the University of Geneva, the Law Faculty of the University of Geneva, the Geneva Society of Law and Legislation (Société Genevoise de Droit et de Législation), and the Centre for European Legal Studies (Centre d'Études Juridiques Européennes) (CEJE).

Image source: https://multilateralism.sipa.columbia.edu/news/agency-and-pathology-international-organizations
Image taken from the Columbia SIPA page on International Organization and United Nations Studies