[*Can International Law contribute to a more equitable global society ?*]

In many countries, large scale acquisition of land rights for agricultural purposes is problematic. Thus far, the international community has dealt with this phenomenon through voluntary measures. What impact can such measures have ? Can the international system protect land users by guaranteeing respect for a certain number of universal rights and principles ?

These questions have been raised by the members of the Technical Land Committee, the Interministerial Group for Food Security, and a variety of French civil society organizations. In response to the demands of several ministers, these groups have been analyzing large scale land appropriations with the goal of establishing a common position on this subject.

Chemillier Gendreau M. Conference October 2009. Video excerpts. English translation. [en]

With the help of an international law specialist, AGTER learned more about the resources at our disposal : Monique Chemillier-Gendreau*. She presented and explored the international legal tools addressing natural resource management and emphasized international law’s shortcomings when it comes to establishing a more equitable form of global governance.

Here, you will find 6 video clips from this conference, produced by Vincent Petit. English translation can be downloaded on this page.

Video Excerpt #1. Permanent Sovereignty over Natural Resources : Soft law that offers no protection

extrait 1 conférence Monique Chemillier-Gendreau. AGTER 2009
envoyé par agter-video.

Video Excerpt #2 : The contract, a legal tool with relative effects.

Extrait 2. Conférence Monique Chemillier Gendreau. AGTER.
envoyé par agter-video.

Video Excerpt # 3. Two possible solutions—Imperative General Law and Obligatory Justice.

Extrait 3. Conférence Monique Chemillier Gendreau AGTER 2009
envoyé par agter-video.

Video excerpt #4 : Relevance and limits of the International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights.

Extrait 4. Conférence Monique Chemillier Gendreau AGTER 2009
envoyé par agter-video.

Video Excerpt #5. Some questions from the audience

Extrait 5. Conférence Monique Chemillier Gendreau AGTER 2009
envoyé par agter-video.

Video excerpt #6. More questions from the audience. How can the damage caused by massive land grabs be limited ?

Extraits 6 Conférence Monique Chemillier Gendreau AGTER 2009
envoyé par agter-video.

*Monique Chemillier-Gendreau is professor emeritus of Public Law and Political Science at the University Paris-Diderot. She has participated in a number of cases before arbitration tribunals, and before the International Court of Justice, notably serving as council in a variety of international law cases.

Until 2001, she presided over the European Association of Lawyers for Democracy and World Human Rights, which she created in May of 1993.

She is the author of "International Law and World Democracy : Reasons Behind their Failure" (Droit international et démocratie mondiale : les raisons d’un échec), amongst other titles.