Westminster Explained

International Law and Institutions

London can be a wonderful and practical place to study international relations. It is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. The Foreign Office is held in high esteem internationally and a new political administration is now in place.

There are numerous legal institutions and organisations based here and a programme which includes visits, meetings and seminars can be arranged. Those organisations situated in Brussels and the Hague are close at hand and convenient to visit.

The European Union Acquis: Strategies for Approximating Non European Union Legal Systems

This one-day seminar will look at issues around transposition, implementation and enforcement. Requirements, processes, procedures and programmes will be examined. The experiences of the accession states will be used as case studies for how approximation can be planned for, incorporated and enacted. This is a practical day, designed to assist delegates from countries with an interest in blending their own legal systems and frameworks with other existing structures.

International Law: An Introduction for Diplomats and Administrators

This seminar will look at the legal basis of the United Nations and examine the supremacy of international law. It will look at the roles and functions of the International Law Commission, the codification of international law, and the nature of international relationships and treaties. Both trade and diplomatic relations will be discussed, as will maritime law. Other aspects of the subject can also be examined. The length of the seminar can be adapted according to the delegates’ requirements.

International Courts: Jurisdiction, Composition and Purposes

This day-long seminar will look into the jurisdiction, composition, structures, functions and case law of the following institutions: the International Court of Justice; the International Criminal Court and Hybrid Courts; the European Court of Human Rights; the Court of First Instance; the Court of Justice of the European Communities; the Permanent Court of Arbitration; the London Court of International Arbitration.

Introduction to Human Rights: Principles, Law and Application

This two- or three-day programme gives an introduction to delegates on what are human rights and what they are not. It will look at universal principles, why they matter, what they involve, and how to legislate to cover behaviour which may be detrimental to people’s rights.

The Council of Europe and the European Convention will be discussed, along with the role of the United Nations in spreading human rights internationally, and the establishment of the Equality and Human Rights Commission in the UK. Foreign investment and international law will also be examined if desired.

The seminar will look at standards, regional frameworks, courts and instruments, security issues and the human rights framework, freedom of expression and religious freedom. Equality for minorities and women, and rights in different cultures will also be examined.

It will go on to examine the impact of human rights in different countries by means of a number of case studies, with detailed discussion about the implications these experiences could have for delegates in their own countries.

Conflict Resolution

This two- or three-day programme looks at conflict resolution models, including negotiating positions, win/win scenarios, the changing nature of conflict, external and internal pressures, protracted social conflict, ethnic and identity conflict, and cultures of violence.

Conflict prevention and early response are examined, as are post-conflict peace keeping, peace building and reconstruction, and conflict resolution in practice. Disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration of former combatants, institution building and reconciliation between conflicting parties are also analysed.

Case studies from Northern Ireland, the Balkans, West Africa, and Eastern Europe can be used. The roles of international and regional organisations are looked at, as well as human rights and international law.

The effect of the Iraq war on international relations and the implications for future interventions will also be discussed.

Diplomacy

It will also discuss the importance of relationships and meeting people, as opposed to other forms of communication.

Access to authority, empowerment in different states, protocol, awareness of other customs, national stereo-types in diplomacy and punching above one’s weight in multi-national blocs and organisations will also be examined, as will local customs.

There will be a series of negotiating exercise workshops, demonstrating the dynamics of meetings, alliances, shared interests and trade blocs.

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