Announcing Conference "Accountability and International Business Operations: Providing Justice for Corporate Violations of Human Rights, Labor and Environmental Standards"

It is with great pleasure that I am happy to announce the details of what is shaping up to be a marvelous program organized by the Utrecht Center for Accountability and and Liability Law (UCALL).  The conference,  "Accountability and International Business Operations: Providing Justice for Corporate Violations of Human Rights, Labor and Environmental Standards" brings together some of the most innovative thought leaders in the field today.  The object of the conference organizers is to inquire how regulatory tools stemming from international law, public law, and private law may or may not be used for transnational corporate accountability purposes. 

Great thanks to the conferences organizers, a team of researchers from the Utrecht Centre for Accountability and Liability Law: Prof. Ivo Giesen (private law); Dr. Liesbeth Enneking (private law); Prof. François Kristen (criminal law); Anne-Jetske Schaap, LLM (criminal law); Prof. Cedric Ryngaert (international law); and Lucas Roorda, LLM (international law).

The Conference Statement and Program follows below:

Accountability and International Business Operations: Providing Justice for Corporate Violations of Human Rights, Labor and Environmental Standards

Topic

The adverse effects of multinational corporations' business activities, especially on human rights, labor rights, and the environment in the host country of investment, have been well documented. A consensus has also emerged that corporations have social and environmental responsibilities when operating transnationally. However, how exactly corporations can be held legally accountable for their transgressions, if at all, is less clear.

This conference inquires how regulatory tools stemming from international law, public law, and private law may or may not be used for transnational corporate accountability purposes. Attention will be devoted to applicable standards of liability, institutional and jurisdictional issues, and practical challenges, with a focus on ways to improve the existing legal status quo. In addition, there will be consideration of the extent to which non-legal regulatory instruments may complement or provide (more viable) alternatives to these legal mechanisms. The conference combines legal-doctrinal approaches with interdisciplinary and policy insights. 

Keynote speakers
Larry Catá Backer (Pennsylvania State University)
Karin Buhmann (Copenhagen Business School)
Geert van Calster (KU Leuven)
Jan Eijsbouts (formerly University of Maastricht/AKZO-Nobel)
Liesbeth Enneking (Utrecht University)
Judith van Erp (Utrecht University)
Gilles Goedhart (Ministery of Foreign Affairs)
Nicola Jägers (Tilburg University)
Radu Mares (Raoul Wallenberg Institute)
Channa Samkalden (Prakken d'Oliveira)
Martijn Scheltema (Erasmus University Rotterdam)
Oliver de Schutter (KU Leuven)
Jasper Teulings (Greenpeace International)
Vibe Garf Ulfbeck (University of Copenhagen)
Jan van Wijngaarden (SER)
Jennifer Zerk (Jennifer Zerk Consulting)


Program (overview)

View the full program (pdf)

Friday, May 19, 2017 – Paushuize (Kromme Nieuwegracht 49)  09:00 – 09:30

Registration and coffee  09:30 – 09:45

Introduction by the dean and Ucall directors Ivo Giesen and François Kristen
09:45 – 10:15

Larry Backer (Pennsylvania State University) 10:15 – 10:45

Liesbeth Enneking (Utrecht University) 10:45 – 11:00

Gilles Goedhart (Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs) 11:00 – 11:30

Coffee 11:30 – 16:30

Parallel thematic sessions (panels) 16:30 – 16:55

Panel 1 – Accountability through international law
Panel 2 – Accountability through domestic public law
Panel 3 – Accountability through domestic private law


Olivier de Schutter (Université Catholique de Louvain) 16:55 – 17:15

Discussion 17:15 – 18:15

Drinks

Saturday, May 20, 2017 – Academiegebouw (Domplein 29)
09:30 – 10:15

Jennifer Zerk (Jennifer Zerk Consulting) 10:15 – 11:45

Roundtable 11:45 – 12:15

Coffee 12:15 – 12:45

Geert van Calster (Leuven University) 12:45 – 13:00

Closing remarks Cedric Ryngaert

Thursday, May 18, 2017 – Toon Peterszaal (Achter Sint Pieter 200)
16:45 - 18:45

PhD Masterclass

Conference Fees
Regular: 150 euro
PhD Candidate: 75 euro
Student: 35 euro