Resilience and Rights: Navigating Post-Pandemic Recovery for Vulnerable Groups

Event Details

COVID-19 triggered an unprecedented global health and economic crisis, profoundly impacting every aspect of life. It led to significant economic disruptions, affecting supply chains, work implementation, governmental functions, and access to justice. Efforts to protect and mitigate these effects varied significantly as countries navigated the complexities of the pandemic, particularly affecting vulnerable individuals and groups such as small businesses, women, children, supply chain workers, migrants, and refugees. This uneven response underscored the global inequities exacerbated by the crisis, highlighting the need to examine its transformative impact on business practices, human rights, and access to justice, as well as the lessons learned for future preparedness.

Co-organised by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Law and Policy (CISLP) at Kyoto University, the conference discusses recovery efforts and future preparedness strategies for at-risk groups across European and Asian jurisdictions. It includes discussions on innovative legal frameworks and mechanisms aimed at ensuring universal access to justice.

Drawing on findings from the forthcoming book, "Protection and Post-Pandemic Recovery for Vulnerable Groups: European and Asian Approaches," the conference aims to empower a diverse audience, including legal practitioners, business leaders, policymakers, and human rights advocates, by equipping them with the knowledge and tools needed to navigate post-pandemic recovery and enhance resilience against future disruptions.

This conference is made possible through the support of the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

Registration

To register for this event please complete the form here.

Programme

9:30 - 10:00 Registration

10:00 - 12:00 Panel 1: Business, human rights, and access to justice in the post-pandemic era

• Supply chain transparency and due diligence
• Labour rights prioritisation and outcomes for marginalised workers
• Access to justice for vulnerable groups during the pandemic
• Impact on female migrant care workers in Asia

Speakers:

• Prof. Eva Lein, University of Lausanne and BIICL (Chair)
  
• Clara Maghani, World Bank 
• Prof. Yuko Nishitani, Kyoto University and BIIC
• Prof. Noriko Odagiri, Tokyo International University
• Prof. Reiko Ogawa, Chiba University    

12:00 - 13:30 Lunch 

13:30 - 15:10 Panel 2: Legal Innovations and dispute resolution during post-COVID-19 recovery

• Emergency legal measures and "breathing space" initiatives
• Adaptations in dispute resolution mechanisms during the pandemic
• Long-term improvements and innovations in commercial dispute resolution

Speakers:

• Prof. Gabriele Koziol, Kyoto University (Chair)
• Constance Bonzé, BIICL
• Helen Dodds, LawtechUK Commercial Dispute Resolution Taskforce
• Prof. Eva Lein, University of Lausanne and BIICL
• Waleed Malik, World Bank
• Dr. Sara Razai, BIICL 

15:30 - 18:00 Panel 3: Social and cultural perspectives on pandemic responses and vulnerable groups

• Constitutional principles and the pandemic
• COVID-surveillance and mass data sharing
• Cultural and infrastructural responses to COVID-19 in Europe and Japan

  Speakers:

• Prof. Yuko Nishitani, Kyoto University (Chair)
• Prof. Mark Findlay, Chulalongkorn University and BIICL
• Prof. Emilio Guichot, University of Seville
• Dr. Harald Kümmerle, German Institute for Japanese Studies
• Prof. Miguel Alvarez Ortega, Kyoto University
  
• Prof. Franz Waldenberger, German Institute for Japanese Studies
• Prof. Ferdinand Wollenschläger, University of Augsburg