The IPJET/SZWS Conference of 13-14 March in the Hague
The organizers of the conference (the International Platform of Jurists for East Timor and the Stichting Zelfbeschikking West-Sahara) aimed at 200 participants, mainly students of international law and international relations. But the conference took place immediately before a full week of tests (at the campus The Hague of Leiden University) and during a term break (at the Institute of Social Studies) and that prevented many students to participate.
Anyway, those who enrolled at the conference (84) represented 37 nationalities: Western Sahara, Timor-Leste, Netherlands, Algeria, Finland, Zimbabwe, Portugal, France, South Moluccas, Sweden, South Africa, United Kingdom, Germany, Nigeria, Tanzania, Ukraine, South Korea, Eritrea, Norway, Peru, India, United States, Afghanistan, Ethiopia, Ireland, Palestine, Azerbaijan, Canada, Tunisia, Spain, Denmark, Uganda, Philippines, Greece, Turkey, Costa Rica and Lebanon. A small United Nations!
The presentations were impressive. In due course, we hope to publish a book collecting them. The conference program (posted here on 8 March) was fully respected. The paper of Prof. Carlos Beristain, impeded from being present due to an unforeseen change of his travel plans, was presented by another speaker, the Sahrawi Mahjoub Maliha. Extra program, Takbar Haddi, the mother of Mohamed Lamine Haidala, a young Saharawi who was killed by Moroccan settlers, spoke to the audience via video link and I made an in memoriam tribute to two great friends of Western Sahara and East Timor, Lord Eric Avebury and Ambassador Frank Ruddy.
Those who wish to have a copy of the bios of the speakers and/or of the abstracts of their presentations can send me a message to ipjet2@gmail.com
Conférence : le problème du Sahara Occidental et le rôle de l’Europe
Origen: (69) The IPJET/SZWS Conference of 13-14 March in the… – Pedro Pinto Leite