This conference, which is being organized by Professor Curtis Bradley of the University of Chicago Law School and Professor Mathias Forteau of Université Paris Ouest, will explore the implications of the rise of nonbinding international agreements, especially with respect to issues of transparency and accountability. Many observers have perceived an increase in the use by states of nonbinding agreements, both with other states and with international organizations. This phenomenon may facilitate greater cooperation by offering additional flexibility, but it may also present challenges for both domestic and international law, which generally regulates only binding arrangements. For example, domestic rules for legislative notice and participation, and for public transparency, may not apply if an agreement is nonbinding. In the United States, Congress recently responded to this potential gap by mandating new transparency requirements. Agreements that are nonbinding may also avoid a variety of international law rules, while at the same time potentially generating international legal effects. As a matter of international relations, there is also a danger that states will have conflicting views about whether an agreement is or is not binding, especially if states have different drafting practices. The participants in this conference, which include a mix of legal scholars and government attorneys, will address these and related issues, from both national and international perspectives. The national dimensions of this topic are part of the emerging field of comparative foreign relations law that has been developed in recent work by Professor Bradley and others.

This event is held on September 29, 2023 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. CET (Paris)