“Natural resources grabbing: erosion or legitimate exercise of State sovereignty?”

4th and 5th October 2013

University of Cagliari (Sardinia, Italy)- Aula Magna del Rettorato

Deadline for submissions of abstracts: 15 June 2013

The Theme addressed:
The growing demand for natural resources has triggered a “race” to their exploitation and possession, especially in developing countries. This research project aims at addressing,from an international law perspective, this very complex challenge for the international community.
The more requested resources are water (freshwater and groundwater), land, forests, raw materials (oil, gas, mineral resources and precious stones), fisheries and genetic resources.
Among the “buyers” there are emerging economies and Western States, as well as multinational corporations and international financial institutions.
While this demand creates investment opportunities in countries with a low attractive investment profile, on the other side, these initiatives often threaten local communities’ interests and environmental protection. In particular, they aggravate the risks of food, water and energy security and, in the long term, they may generate dangerous imbalances, if they strike at the roots the territorial sovereignty of host countries.
Governments, intergovernmental organizations and non-state actors have a key role to play in promoting responsible investments and in developing procedural and substantive principles and rules that contribute to the establishment of a transparent and accountable natural resources governance.

The Call
We welcome submissions that describe new (previously unpublished), cutting-edge
research in the following focus areas:

 The international legal framework: relevant customary and treaty law for the exploitation of natural resources
o Investment and Trade Law
o Environmental Law
o Human Rights Law
o Law of the Sea
o Energy Law

 The role of International Organisations
o Financial institutions, Development Banks and UN Agencies (such as, the International Fund for Agricultural Development – IFAD, United Nations Development Program – UNDP and others)

 The responses at the regional and domestic level (constitutional rights, customary law, reforms) on behalf of investor and recipient countries, and their interaction with the international legal order
o European Union partnerships and investment programs
o African, Asian and South American experiences

 The role of non-state actors
o Multinational corporations
o Non-governmental organisations
o Standard-setting associations

 The contractual dimension: the negotiation of private agreements and the
protection of public interests
o Oil & gas contracts
o Bioprospecting contracts
o Investment contracts
o Agri-investment, land deals

Please submit to francesca.romanin@unimi.it. a 500-word abstract in English, French or Spanish, with indication of the author(s), their affiliation and full contact information.

The Workshop
Selected papers will be presented at an international Workshop, which will be held in Cagliari (Sardinia) on the 4th and 5th October 2013. Each session of the workshop will be moderated by an invited keynote speaker and will include 3 additional contributors, selected through this call.
There will be no registration fee for participants in the workshop.
Researchers and practitioners from developing countries are welcome and we will be able to contribute in part to their travelling and accommodation expenses in Cagliari.

The Publication
By January 2014, the Editorial Board (Professor Francesco Seatzu, Dr. Angelica Bonfanti
and Dr. Francesca Romanin Jacur) will submit the selected papers for peer-review for inclusion in a collective publication by an international legal publisher.

Timeline
Closing date for abstracts’ submission: 15 June 2013
Acceptance of abstracts: 30 June 2013
Deadline for draft papers’ submission: 15 September 2013
Deadline for selected final drafts’ submission: December 2013

Organizing Committee
Francesco Seatzu, University of Cagliari; Angelica Bonfanti, University of Milan; Francesca Romanin Jacur, University of Cagliari

Should you have any questions about the call or the workshop, please contact Dr.
Romanin Jacur at francesca.romanin@unimi.it.