Professor Kenneth Vandevelde Lectures at Oxford

June 27, 2012

Professor Kenneth Vandevelde is speaking at a one-day conference at Oxford University June 28, addressing the question whether international economic law impairs the ability of governments to address economic crises. 

The conference is focusing in particular on treaty commitments to open borders to international capital movements (in effect, allowing large sums of money to flow in and out of the country), on most-favored-nation commitments in treaties, and on treaty exceptions that permit countries to deviate from their treaty commitments.  Professor Vandevelde is speaking in particular on whether countries may invoke national security as a justification for deviating from treaty commitments during economic crises, but will also speak about other treaty exceptions as well.

Conference speakers have been invited from around the world, including from Asia, Africa, Europe and North and South America.  Only two Americans are speaking.

The other American is the former General Counsel to the U.S. Trade Representative and currently an attorney in private practice.  Professor Vandevelde is the only American academic who is speaking.