Webinar - National Security in International Law: An Asia-Pacific Perspective

September 10, 2020, 8:00 - 9:30 AM EST

 

ASIL Asia-Pacific

National security plays an indispensable role in international law and relations. It is difficult to define “national security” as a legal term accurately and make its application unanimously at the global level. While national security or similar terms is mentioned in a number of international treaties, individual states often define and defend their own interpretations of national security. In the recent years, national security is frequently cited by states to justify policies and acts, and has quickly become a major point of international debates. For instance, China’s national security law in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has become a major flashpoint for international debate. In addition, national security is also used as a legal defense in international trade and investment law as seen, for example, in the large number of investment arbitration cases between US investors and Argentina in recent years, as well as a few recent WTO disputes between Russia and Ukraine and between Japan and Korea. Furthermore, many states have recently tightened screening of foreign investments, citing national security as a justification. Such developments give rise to various issues of practical and academic significance. Against such a background, a group of leading experts will discuss the contentious issue of national security in different fields of international law from an Asia-Pacific perspective, and to explore whether and to what extent a common norm of “national security” could be achieved by the international community.

 

Registration is required to receive the Zoom link.

 

Speakers:

  • Diane Desierto, Notre Dame University, United States
  • Manjiao Chi, University of International Business and Economics, Beijing, Moderator
  • Yuka Fukunaga, Law School, Waseda University, Japan
  • Prabhash Ranjan, Law School, South Asian University, India
  • Simon Young, University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law, Hong Kong