ASEFUAN / IGIR Dialogue on Trade and Sustainable Development, Brussels, Belgium, 11 June 2010

Co-organizers: Asia-Europe Foundation University Alumni Network (ASEFUAN) AISBL; Institute for Globalization and International Regulation (IGIR), University of Maastricht; International Law Association (ILA) Belgium; Association for International Arbitration (AIA)
Sponsored by: Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP (www.cgsh.com)
Venue: University of Maastricht, Campus Brussels (Avenue de l’Armée 10, 1040 Brussels, Belgium)

The Asia-Europe Foundation University Alumni Network (ASEFUAN) is pleased to inform you that the ASEFUAN / IGIR Dialogues on Trade and Sustainable Development was successfully organized on 11 June 2010. There were about 50 participants in the Dialogues and they actively engaged in discussions with some of the highest-profile trade law and policy experts based in Brussels.

You can find the pictures of the ASEFUAN Dialogues at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/kangsj1977/ASEFUANIGIRDialoguesOnTradeAndSustainableDevelopment#

1. Topic and Concept of the ASEFUAN Dialogues 2010

The topic of this year’s Dialogues was “Trade Between Asia and Europe: Conflict and Convergence.” This year’s Dialogues invited good number of the highest-profile scholars and practitioners of the international trade law based in Brussels area and provided updates of the trade issues between Asia and Europe. The sub-topics included:

Bilateral Trade Agreements between Europe and Asia: Lessons from Korea-EU experience
Investment dispute settlements between Europe and Asia: Myths and reality
WTO dispute settlement system in changing economic environment
The impact of changing economic environment for EU trade defense mechanism

2. Programme

The program of the ASEFUAN/IGIR Dialogues was as follows. We will publish the Minutes in due course and the discussions and presentations will not be open to public before that.

08:30 – 09:00	-	Registration and coffee break
09:10 – 09:30	-	Welcome remarks and keynote speech - Prof. Anselm Kamperman Sanders, Academic Director, IGIR - Mr. Sungjin Kang, Project Coordinator, ASEFUAN AISBL
09:30 – 11:00	-	Session 1: Korea – EU FTA – Negotiating bilateral agreement with wide range of legal and political issues Chair: Prof. Jacques Bourgeois, College of Europe - Mr. Ignacio Garcia-Bercero, chief negotiator of Korea-EU FTA, DG Trade - A speaker from Korean Mission to the EU - Mr. Paolo R. Vergano, Partner, FratiniVergano - European Lawyers
11:15 – 12:45	-	Session 2: Investment dispute settlements between Europe and Asia: Myths and reality Chair: Mr. Johan Billiet, President, Association for International Arbitration - Mr. Todd Grierson Weiler, www.naftaclaims.com, (Association for International Arbitration agreed to send a speaker to this session) - H.E., Ambassador Roberto Echandi-Gurdián. Ambassador of Costa Rica to the European Union, Brussels
12:45 – 14:00	-	Lunch break (Sponsored lunch)
14:00 – 15:30	-	Session 3: The impact of changing economic environment for EU trade defense mechanism Chair: Mr. Till Mueller-Ibold, Partner, Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton - Mr. Wolfgang Mueller, DG Trade, European Commission - Mr. Nikolay Mizulin, Counsel, Hogan Lovells - Mr. Folkert Graafsma, Partner, Vermulst Verhaeghe Graafsma & Bronckers
15:45 – 17:15	-	Session 4: The WTO Dispute Settlement System in changing economic environment: Where should it go? Chair: Prof. Kim van der Borght, Chairman, International Law Association (Belgium), Vrije Universiteit Bruessel - Prof. Peter Van den Bossche, Member, WTO AB - Mr. Lothar Ehring, DG Trade - H.E., Ambassador Manual Teehankee, Permanent Representative of the Philippines to the World Trade Organization, Geneva
17:15 – 18:15	-	Session 5: Panel Discussion and Wrap-up Chair: Prof. Anselm Kamperman Sanders - H.E., Ambassador Manual Teehankee - H.E., Ambassador Roberto Echandi-Gurdián - Prof. Kim van der Borght - A representative from Chinese Mission to the European Union - Mr. Todd Weiler
19:00 – 20:30	-	Dinner (Sponsored dinner)