IBA audio

The case emphasises that a focus before the courts on the technical capabilities of sophisticated electronic devices like high-speed cameras can be successful, despite several attempts of the European Commission to block the correct classification by introducing new arguments. For the Court of Justice of the EU, the demonstrated technical characteristics were strong enough to declare a contrary classification regulation of the Commission invalid. Tariff classification is about goods. It is therefore of vital importance that in a dispute the court fully understands what the product is. Pictures may not be enough; a demonstration in court may sway the opinion. 

Welcome to the first in a series of podcasts by the IBA International Trade and Customs Law Committee: Customs law conversations - practitioners talk to practitioners.

In this podcast, Yves Melin, Publications Officer for the Committee and a partner at Reed Smith, discusses the landmark Jiangsu Seraphim Solar System v Commission case with Nico Ooyevaar, Vice-Chair of the Committee and a partner at McMan & Co.

The IBA Legal Policy & Research Unit (LPRU) has created a series of podcasts on business and human rights, to look at the rapidly increasing need for companies to act responsibly and sustainably.

In this episode, Professor John Ruggie, the author of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) speaks to Sara Carnegie, Director of the LPRU and Maria Pia Sacco, LPRU Senior Project Lawyer, to discuss the impact of the UNGPs and future developments in the area of business and sustainability.

Image: "John Ruggie, Chairperson of the Forum during the United Nations Forum Business and Human Rights. 4 December 2012." by UN Geneva is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0 / Cropped from original

The Covid-19 pandemic has led to unprecedented changes in the way we live and work, and, as a consequence, has accelerated the adoption of digital technologies. However, this transformation has not been without its issues. In this podcast, privacy and data barrister, Melissa Stock, speaks with Vijay Rathour, Head of the Digital Forensics Group at Grant Thornton, about the problems faced during the pandemic, the commercialisation of hacking, and future trends in cybersecurity.

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, Director of the IBA's Human Rights Institute, speaks to former legislator Ted Hui, who fled Hong Kong for the United Kingdom at the end of 2020. Their discussion focuses on Hui’s involvement in the Hong Kong umbrella movement, the introduction of the national security law and the presence of UK judges in Hong Kong.

Image: Shutterstock.com / Hsiuwen Liu

Hugo Beteta, Director of the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) discusses the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on Latin American and Caribbean countries, the difference between poverty and inequality, and the recommendations made by ECLAC on the eradication of poverty, with Alvaro Castellanos Howell, Co-Chair of the IBA Poverty and Social Development Committee.

Covid-19 may put 265 million more people in acute hunger in 2020 alone.

In this podcast, Brian Tomson, Senior Communications and Advocacy Specialist at United Nations agency International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD); Katherine Meighan, IFAD General Counsel; Cynthia Colaiacovo, IFAD Deputy General Counsel; and Joan Grogan, IFAD Head of the Finance and Impact Unit, give their views on the impact of the pandemic on agricultural development, food security and the recent State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report. 

Mila Versteeg, Director, Human Rights Program, University of Virginia School of Law, on the role the Brazilian judiciary has played during the pandemic. Interview by Polly Botsford

As the world of work changed in response to Covid-19, law firms have adapted to the situation. Highly experienced law firm leaders from around the globe discuss the challenges and steps taken – from the technological to the logistical, from managing staff wellbeing and communications to responding to client demands. 

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC talks about the need to monitor the Covid-19 situation in the United Kingdom to ensure there aren't abuses of special powers. Full podcast available: https://www.ibanet.org/Podcasts/7549027.aspx