[Webinar] International law for diplomats

Webinar Announcement

International law affects diplomats in diverse ways; and diplomats also affect international law. Diplomats are at the forefront of international law creation, implementation and interpretation, whether posted to a foreign country, at the UN, or to another international organisation.

How does international law affect the duties and foreign affairs work of diplomats? How can the diplomat have a positive impact on the creation and implementation of international law?

This webinar will discuss how international law is important to the work of a diplomat on a daily basis, looking at questions such as: 

• When I act as a diplomat, what effect can those actions have on my home country? Is what I say or write somehow binding upon my country? What do I need to be careful about?
• I have to deal with a very serious humanitarian crisis. As a part of the arrangement for getting humanitarian assistance I need to sign a temporary agreement for delivering assistance. I cannot consult my capital. It is matter of life and death. Should I sign the agreement? What could the consequences be?
• Am I compellable as a witness in courts of another state or in arbitration proceedings to testify as to what I saw, heard, said or wrote in my diplomatic capacity? While I may have immunity in the courts of the state to which I am accredited, does that immunity apply if the proceedings are in a third country?
• My country has been accused of war crimes as defined by the Rome Statute. Am I at risk of being arrested and tried by the International Criminal Court merely for being a diplomat and, thereby, a representative of that state? Do I have immunity from arrest or prosecution while I am a diplomat; and does that immunity apply after I leave the diplomatic post?  

To learn more about these and other questions, please join our interactive webinar on Tuesday, 10 December 2013 at 14.00 GMT (15:00 CET) held by Mr. Alan Franklin.

Registrations are now closed.