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Published: July 28th 2007
Dear all,
Welcome to my long-promised TravelBlog!
This entry, my first, will cover my Geneva trip from 1-13 July 2007. This will only put me 2 weeks behind (I’m already playing catch-up), so stay tuned for further entries covering Lyon, the Netherlands (Nijmegen, Amsterdam, The Hague and Leiden), Berlin and Prague. Unfortunately, I've been having some problems organising my photos on internet cafe computers, so this first entry will have to be photoless for the time being 😞
A note of warning to those on my Geneva trip who I have added to my subscriber list: don't bother reading this entry - you will find nothing new here!
For those of you who don’t know (and are therefore probably wondering why on Earth I would waste two weeks travel time in Geneva), the purpose for my visit to Geneva was to undertake my final law subject - Institutions in International Law - taught intensively by the Melbourne Law School for two weeks. 25 students and two staff members undertook the subject, which involved visits to various international organizations (‘IOs’) (meaning inter-governmental organizations, ie those whose members are states) and also some NGOs, and hearing from a number of different speakers about their work in, and challenges etc facing, their organization.
Thanks to the extraordinary network of connections accumulated by our two lecturers, Oz (Bruce Oswald) and Andrew (Mitchell), we had access to some very high-profile representatives who were able to share their insights and experiences with us and who were willing and able to answer our many questions. This access allowed us to engage with the complex institutional and international legal issues surrounding IOs at a much deeper level, transforming the subject from what would otherwise have been a shop-front ‘tour group’ style tour of Geneva’s main IOs into the most engaging and fascinating subject I’ve undertaken at uni.
Other than a brief tour of the Geneva headquarters of the UN, the first week’s visits revolved around international trade and financial institutions. The main IO we visited was the World Trade Organization (WTO), where we heard about WTO dispute settlement from a senior lawyer in the Appellate Body Secretariat; received a small developing country perspective on WTO issues and trade negotiations from the Ambassador of the Barbados delegation to the WTO; and also learned about intellectual property issues in the WTO from its top IP adviser. We also visited the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), where we learned about the many challenges facing that organization and international IP law from none other than its deputy Secretary-General, and we also heard from the WIPO global issues director about the organization's cutting-edge work on the particular issue of protecting indigenous and cultural knowledges in the international system. While we didn’t visit the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or the World Bank, we were privileged to have the Fund’s WTO liaison officer - a senior macroeconomist - come to speak to us about current trends and issues at the Fund and its relationship with the WTO. While these IOs provided the focal points for the week’s discussions, we received differing perspectives on these controversial and important institutions and their associated areas of international law by visiting a number of NGOs, including the International Centre for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD), the Advisory Centre on WTO Law (ACWL - my favourite: nested acronyms!) - essentially a government and private funded legal aid body set up to assist developing and least developed countries participate fully in the WTO’s dispute settlement mechanisms - and the Quaker United Nations Office (sounds random but they are a major NGO involved with assisting developing countries on multilateral issues such as WTO and IP negotiations!).
In week two, the focus shifted to peace and security, human rights and ‘other’ issues. We first visited the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (a private armed conflict mediation centre and research institute on humanitarian issues) - definitely a highlight of the trip given the caliber of the speakers and the fascinating nature of the work they do. We also visited the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), hearing from some high profile speakers at both organizations. Additionally, we were fortunate to be able to attend a session of the International Law Commission at the UN, at which we heard some of the world’s pre-eminent international lawyers debating the way forward on the Commission’s draft articles on the responsibility of international organizations (and their member states) for internationally wrongful acts. This visit was particularly significant for Bec Hughes and I, as these issues were central to our Jessup Moot problem over the 06/07 Summer! A final highlight of the week’s activities was a session at the Australian Permanent Mission to the WTO and UN in Geneva, at which we were addressed by the Ambassador and a number of other senior DFAT officials.
But fear not: the trip was not all lectures and diplomacy - we had plenty of opportunities to run amok and enjoy ourselves in Geneva and elsewhere. If the daytime involved exercising our brains, the evenings were spent numbing them with an intense schedule of drinking. Whilst Geneva nightlife is hardly spectacular, we managed to find enough decent bars to keep us well-watered and entertained for the two weeks. We also had ample day-time to explore Geneva, including its beautiful old-town.
Admittedly, however, one doesn’t need much time sufficiently to explore Geneva’s sights, and it is primarily for this last reason that a group of us headed to Interlaken for our long weekend off in the middle of the trip. Interlaken and its mountainous surrounds are stunning, and we were blessed with fantastic weather for the first two days. The highlight came on Saturday, during which we took trains further up the mountains, winding our way right up to the top of Jung Frau Joch. At ~3600 metres above sea-level, this snow-capped peak is home to the world’s highest train station and surely some of its most spectacular views. Following our decline, we spent from about 4-10pm drinking beer at a pub in one of the small villages nestled below the peak - just sitting there admiring the view. Scaling a stunning mountain by train, without riaising a sweat, then spending 6 hours staring at it drinking beer - now that is my kind of holiday! On Sunday, the rain cut short our cycling expedition around Interlaken and we caught the train back to Geneva via a brief stop and wander-round Berne.
The trip was capped off on the last Friday when the entire group went on a day-trip boat cruise to the quaint town of Yvoires, just over the border into France, and a final night of drinks by Lake Geneva at “La Terrace”.
All in all, the greater-Geneva trip was a wonderful, intense experience. Visiting some of the major institutions at the heart of the international law subjects I have been studying for the past 2 years was a unique privilege and provided an opportunity to consolidate and reflect upon some of the key issues affecting these disciplines today, while the Geneva surrounds and the company of old and new friends made for an intensely social experience. A great way to cap off my law degree.
Now I just have to write the essay…
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Zac
non-member comment
Wow...
Man, that law stuff sounds rivetting. Bugger I missed it.... but I would have joined you for the drinking. I do like the nested acronyms. How bout the SPNAA (Society of Protection of Nested Acronyms as in the 'Acwl'). Can't go past red dwarf's Commitee for the Liberation and Intergration of Terrestrail Organisms, and their Rehabilitation Into Society.