This commission organizes our annual symposium, a one-day activity, where distinguished lecturers from several countries are invited to give a lecture about a certain academic topic. The commission is working hard and enthusiastically to put together a well-organized symposium with interesting subjects.

Last year the symposium was titled ‘European Energy Policy in the face of Climate Change’. Some titles of previous years are: ‘Terrorism v. Privacy’ 2008, ‘International and Regional Responsibility to Protect Human Rights - Crisis in Darfur’ 2007, ‘The EU in conflict’ 2005, ‘Collective Security and Pre-emptive Strike’ 2004 and ‘The Law on Terror’ in 2003.

Speakers like ex-politician Prof. J. Pronk, Lawyer Mr G.J. Knoops and Judge A. Kuenyehia of the International Criminal Court have already spoken at our symposium.

The theme of this year 26^th symposium is:

Cybercrime: International and European harmonisation and cooperation in combating cybercrime.

Billions of people are using the Internet. This large number of users all over the world, makes it enormous difficult to control what happens on the Internet. Cybercriminals makes abuse of gullible and naïve people and gaps in company’s. What are effectives methods to control the Internet and combat Cybercriminals? How can the different countries and community’s work together? Subjects that can be discussed during the symposium are for example identity fraud, bank and credit card fraud, illegal downloading, illegal trade, terrorism, drugs trafficking and paedophilia.

The symposium will take place on June 2, 2010 at the Utrecht University’s Academiegebouw at Domplein 29.

We are looking forward to see you!

Yours faithfully,

Alicia Schalkwijk

Symposium commissioner 2009/ 2010

Symposium Committee 2009 - 2010 

From left to right: Alicia Schalkwijk "Symposium commissioner", Isabelle Chaumont, Lindsey Tolenaars, Inge Renes and Kim Nguyen.

Last year's Symposium

 Symposium 11 November 2009

'European Energy Policy in the face of Climate Change'

This commission organizes our annual symposium, a one-day activity, where distinguished lecturers from several countries are invited to give a lecture about a certain academic topic. The commission is working hard and enthusiastically to put together a well-organized symposium with distinguished lecturers. Last year the symposium was titled "Terrorism v.Privacy". And in the previous years: "International and Regional Responsibility to Protect Human Rights - Crisis in Darfur" in 2007 and previous years: “The EU in conflict”in 2005, "Collective Security and Pre-emptive Strike" in 2004 and "The Law on Terror" in 2003.

 This year's symposium:

 Symposium 11 November 2009

“European Energy Policy in the Face of Climate Change.”

Though still controversial, this topic is of pressing global importance and highly relevant, especially in light of the top in Copenhagen taking place at the end of the year.
The day will start off by a general introduction on the topic by professor Blok, a member of the International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Also, Mr. Labohm, independent publicist*, will explain to us his criticism on the current attitude towards climate change and his prospects for Copenhagen. After this, the current legal framework on European energy- and climate policy will be discussed, just as the expected changes after Copenhagen.

Lecturers from the political and business sectors will share with us their views on energy- and climate policy. Speakers include mr. de Jong, senior fellow at the Clingendael International Energy Programme, mr. Breunesse, climate advisor at Shell, mr. Wissenburg, campaigner climate & energy at Greenpeace and mr. von Meijenfeldt, deputy director-general environmental management at the Dutch ministry of VROM.

At the end of the session, there is the possibility to engage in a discussion with the speakers.  

The symposium will take place from 09.00 – 15.00 at the Utrecht University’s Academiegebouw at the Domplein 29.

We are looking forward to seeing you the 11th!
 
Sincerely, 
 

Victoria Elema
Symposiumcommissioner 2009 

* An article of Mr. Labohm related to this topic (in Dutch).

 PROGRAMME URIOS SYMPOSIUM 2009

         Operation Earth

Law, Energy Policy and the Struggle against Climate Change

8.45   Registration visitors, coffee & tea in the foyer

9.30   Word of welcome by Urios symposiumcommissioner and chairman

9.40   Lecture mr. Blok, professor natural science and society, director of

energy consultancy office Ecofys and member of the IPCC

 10.10 Lecture mr. Labohm, independent economist and publicist

10.40 Lecture mr. Pallemaerts, professor of European environmental law

11.10 Lecture mr. de Jong, senior fellow Clingendael International Energy Programme

11.40 Questions & discussion

12.15 Lunch

13.00 Lecture mr. von Meijenfeldt, deputy director general Environmental Management, Dutch ministry for Housing, Regional Development and the Environment

13.30 Lecture mr. Breunesse, manager Energy Transitions Shell Nederland B.V.

 14.00 Lecture mr. Wissenburg, campaigner Climate & Energy Greenpeace

 14.30 Questions & discussion

 15.00 Drinks

 16.00 End

This year’s Urios symposium will deal with the effects of UN and EU counter-terrorism measures on the right to privacy. Urios thinks the time is rights to revisit this subject, on which it organized its symposium five years ago, as many measures have been taken since (both the UN and the EU have adopted their own counter-terrorism strategies), sometimes propelled by actual terrorist attacks. But instead of dealing with a number of human rights at stake, the upcoming symposium will focus on the right to privacy in particular, since far-reaching initiatives, such as the exchange of flight passenger data and the collection of biometrics, have increasingly impacted this right.

From left to right: Jochem Sprenger, Martijn Pouw "Symposium commissioner", Sanne Kennepohl and Liset Visser.

Symposium in 2007

On 19 November 2007, URIOS organized its 23rd annual symposium. The theme was:

International and Regional Responsibility to Protect Human Rights - Crisis in Darfur

Several lectures were given by experts with specific knowledge and experience in international law and the situation Sudan.

Prof. dr. Terry D. Gill, Professor , Associate Professor Public International Law, Utrecht University and Military Law, University of Amsterdam,

Prof. dr. Nigel D. White,Professor of International Law, University of Sheffield,

Dr. Jaïr. van der Lijn, Clingendael Institute, the Hague, CICAM, Radboud University of Nijmegen,

Prof. Jan Pronk, Former Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Sudan,

Prof Ademola Abass, Brunel University,United Kingdom, Former African Union Expert on Regional Mechanisms

Sarah M.H. Nouwen, ,LLM MPhil, former Representative Netherlands Embassy Khartoum, PhD Candidate International Law, Cambridge

The symposium consisted of two parts. The first part of the symposium covered the question to what extent international and regional organisations have a responsibility to protect human rights in conflict situations. Moreover, the notion of humanitarian interventions in case of gross human rights violations were  addressed. The latter part focused on the crisis in Darfur and the role of the United Nations and the African Union. After every part there was time for questions and debate between the lecturers and the participants led by the chairperson. The chairperson of the symposium was Ms. Avril McDonald, Professor of International Law and research associate of the TMC Asser Institute for International Law, The Hague.