International Law and Treaties

1. The Tokyo International Law Seminar provides lectures in the field of international law, for officials and legal experts from Asia and Africa. Through the exchanges between the participants, the seminar aims to contribute to the peace guided by the rule of law.
2. The seminar is also designed to foster professionals in the fields of international law by opening the door to lawyers and international law researchers from Japan.

1. A total of 81 people attended the seminar. The participants consisted of 42 government officials from Asia and Africa, namely Angola, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Laos, Maldives, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, Syria, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe, and the Secretariats of AALCO, AUC and PIF, including 16 JICA Long Term Training Participants, pursuing master’s and doctoral programs in Japanese graduate schools, together with lawyers from Japanese law firms that sponsored the seminar and young researchers in the field of international law. During the seminar, prominent international law experts from abroad gave lectures on various areas of particular importance in the practice of international law, as well as on practices related to international litigation.
2. At the inaugural session on 24th August, H.E. Mr. MOTEGI Toshimitsu, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, delivered a video message to the participants.
3. Also on 24th August, the welcoming reception was hosted at the United Nations University.
4. The list of lecturers is as follows:
   • (a) “International Litigation”, Mr. Paul REICHLER, International Lawyer, 11KBW
   • (b) “International Court of Justice”, Judge Sarah CLEVELAND, Judge, International Court of Justice
   • (c) “State, State Official, Diplomatic Immunities”, Prof. Philippa WEBB KC, University of Oxford
   • (d) “Investor-State Dispute Settlement”, Prof. Yas BANIFATEMI; Mr. Yuri PARKHOMENKO, Founding Partner, Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes; Partner, Gaillard Banifatemi Shelbaya Disputes
   • (e) “Business and Human Rights”, Ms. Emma LINDSAY, Co-Chief Executive Officer, Clooney Foundation for Justice
   • (f) “Use of Force”, Prof. Dapo Akande, Professor, University of Oxford
   • (g) “State Responsibility”, Prof. Federica Paddeu, Associate Professor, University of Cambridge
   • (h) “Law of the Sea”, Judge Tomas Heidar, President, International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
   • (i) Panel Discussion “Development and Clarification of International Law through Interaction among United Nations Bodies”
     <Panelists>
     Judge Cleveland, Prof. Webb, Ms. Lindsay, Prof. Paddeu
     <Moderator>
     Mr. MIKANAGI Tomohiro, Deputy Permanent Representative of Japan to the UN
5. On 28th August, qualified participants received certificates at the completion ceremony,
6. The seminar was:
   • (a) organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan;
   • (b) co-organized by the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, the Japanese Society of International Law and the Ministry of Justice;
   • (c) supported by the United Nations University and the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO); and
   • (d) sponsored by Anderson Mori & Tomotsune, Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu, Nishimura & Asahi, TMI Associates, Yodoyabashi & Yamagami LPC, Baker & McKenzie (Gaikokuho Joint Enterprise), Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, City-Yuwa Partners, Kitahama Partners, Koga & Partners.

The “Asia Cup”, one of the largest international law moot court competitions in Asia during the seminar week. “Asia Cup” has been held annually in Japan since 1999 for students from Asian countries. This year, the team from Thailand won the championship.