Akiho SHIBATA's International Law Room│What's New List

Educational Activities

15/07/11

Professor Shibata and his students will be making a presentation on "Arctic Scientific Cooperation Agreement: Only by A8?" at the 8th Polar Law Symposium: The Science, Scholarship, and Practice of Polar Law in September 23-26 (University of Alaska, Fairbanks and Anchorage).

15/07/10

Multilateral Treaty Negotiation: students representing 10 nations succssfully negotiated and agreed to a text on Supplementary Protocol on Liability and Redress to Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety.

15/04/23

Kobe International Law Workshop: The Arctic: Current Legal and Policy Issues will be held on 24 April. Students are ready to engage with Arctic legal experts !

15/04/10

2015 Spring Term starts, with 4 new Japanese international law M1 students and 2 exchange students from Grenoble. Exciting courses by Prof. Dire Tladi from South Africa, by Prof. Shibata on Multilateral Treaty Negotiation started.

15/01/05

English courses in international law for 2015 academic year starting April determined: Special Lecture (Spring) by Prof. Dire Tladi; Multilateral Treaty Negotiation (Spring) by Prof. Shibata; International Cooperation Law (Fall) by Prof. Hayashi; and International Criminal Law (Fall) by Prof. Koh. What an exciting programme!

14/12/25

The students in international cooperation law class conducted a moot arbitration on a controversial territorial dispute on Senkaku/Daioyu islands between China and Japan. The class details here.

14/09/25

2014 Fall semester starts. There has been some changes in the classes provided. International Cooperation Law will be taught by Professor Shibata (Monday, 3rd period), with first make-up class being held on 9 October (Thu). Multilateral Treaty Negotiation will not be provided in this semester, but instead will be provided in 2015 Spring semester. Sorry for any inconveniences.

14/07/02

From April 2014, GSICS international law programme is proud to be receiving two exchange students from University of Grenoble UPMF under the Academic Exchange Agreement concluded in 2013. On June 2, with the participation of Professor Theodore Christakis from Grenoble, we held a seminar for prospective Japanese students interested in studying at Grenoble from January 2015.

14/07/01

Class schedule on Special Lecture: International Legal Diplomacy: Some Experiences of a Japanese “Professor-Diplomat” (A. Shibata) is now available from here. And some updates.

14/02/08

The oral pleadings by both the Australian and the Japanese teams in a moot ICJ on Whaling in the Antarctic case successfully concluded. All participating students did an excellent job! Congratulations. See details here.

14/02/10

In the spring semester starting from April 2014, GSICS International Law Program is proud to provide the following courses in English:
(1) Special Lecture: International Legal Diplomacy: Some Experiences of a Japanese “Professor-Diplomat” (A. Shibata)
(2) International Environmental Law (M. Fitzmaurice, Queen Mary, University of London)
(3) Law of International Civil Service (N. Kurokami, Okayama U.)

13/10/22

2013 Multilateral Treaty Negotiation takes up the case pending before the ICJ on Whaling in the Antarctic, and we will conduct a moot court. For the class schedule and reading material, see here.

13/10/01

2013 Fall Semester starts. On 7 October, in my class Multilateral Treaty Negotiation, we have a special seminar by Dr. Peter Bridgewater, the Chair of United Kingdom Joint Nature Conservation Committee, former Chair of the IWC, and former Secretary-General of the Ramsar Convention, on “Recent Legal Issues in Biodiversity-related Conventions”. For the reading material, download two materials: on IWC and Resume.

13/08/19

In the fall semester from October 2013 to February 2014, GSICS is proud to provide the following international law courses in English:
International Cooperation Law (HAYASHI)
Multilateral Treaty Negotiation (SHIBATA)
International Criminal Law (FURUYA)

13/08/19

International Fieldwork to the Hague successfully completed.

13/06/10

International Fieldwork to the Hague, the Netherlands to observe the ICJ Whaling in the Antarctic commences from June 26 with three graduate students participating.

13/04/08

International Environmental Law 2013 will examine the pending ICJ Whaling in the Antarctic Case. We plan to observe the oral hearing of the case in The Hague. For class schedule and assignments, see here. There is also a separate page (address provided only to registered students) from which the students can download reading material. Details here.

13/03/22

The graduate-level course at the University of Grenoble (UPMF): “Multilateral Treaty Negotiation: Some Experiences of a Japanese Professor-Diplomat” was a great success! The M2 French students loved the concept “Professor-Diplomat”. Some of them demonstrated their interest in studying at GSICS. I really hope to receive them soon.

13/03/18

In academic year 2013 starting from April, GSICS is proud to provide the following international law courses in English.
・International Environmental Law (SHIBATA)
・Current Issues in the Practice of Public International Law:
　　From the Perspective of a Former Government Practitioner (BARRETT)
・International Cooperation Law (HAYASHI)
・Multilateral Treaty Negotiation (SHIBATA)
・International Criminal Law (FURUYA)

13/02/03

Multilateral Treaty Negotiation is reaching its final rounds of mock negotiation on proposed amendments to TOR of the Basel Compliance Mechanism. See details here.

12/12/01

In Fall Semester 2012, Professor Shibata is teaching “International Environmental Law” and “Multilateral Treaty Negotiation”. See here for details. In addition, two international law related courses are provided in English: International Human Rights Law (Professor Igarashi) and International Cooperation Law (Visiting Lecturer Naoko Maeda) in Fall Semester.

12/11/27

From October 2012, GSICS International Law Program welcomed one new student from Brazil. He has become the sixth overseas student under Professor Shibata’s supervision.

12/04/15

Two English course classes will be provided in the Spring Semester, 2012: “International and European Human Rights Law” by Professor Christakis of University of Grenoble, and “The Law of International Civil Service” by Professor Kurokami of Okayama University.

12/04/15

International Law Program welcomes four new master course students, including one from Thailand, and four new doctoral students.? Professor Shibata currently has six overseas students under his supervision: two Post-doctoral from Uzbekistan and Thailand, one M2 from Paraguay (Japanese course), one M1 from Indonesia (English course) and one M1 from Thailand (Japanese course), and one research student from Brazil.

12/03/31

International Law Program congratulates nine (9) students successfully completing the course, obtaining the degree of Master of Laws

12/02/07

The class: Multilateral Treat Negotiation successfully concluded, in which the students conducted a mock negotiation on the revision of Basel Compliance Mechanism.? See for details.

11/11/07

The schedule of Multilateral Treaty Negotiation (MTN) is updated.

11/11/01

International fieldwork to observe the Basel Convention's COP10 in Cartagena, Colombia was successfully concluded. We made a statement at the plenary.

11/10/01

Fall Semester starts! Welcome to one Master’s student from Indonesia on ADB scholarship, and one research student (planning to enter into Master’s course) from Brazil on MEXT scholarship, who are interested in studying international law at GSICS.

11/10/01

Professor Shibata currently has five overseas students under his supervision: a Post-doctoral from Uzbekistan, a D3 from Thailand, a M1 from Paraguay (Japanese course), a M1 from Indonesia (English course), and a research student from Brazil.

11/09/30

Congratulations to Chanapat-kun, from Thailand, for successfully completing the Master’s Course and obtaining the degree of Master of Laws (Thesis: The Legality of Plain Tobacco Packaging under TRIPS in the Light of Public Health Protection).

11/09/23

International Fieldwork to Europe successfully concluded.

12/02/08

Two English course classes will be provided: “International Criminal Law” (February 2012) by Professor Furuya of Waseda University, and “International and European Human Rights Law” (April 2012) by Professor Christakis of University of Grenoble, France.

11/04/01

Academic Year 2011 starts! Professor Shibata will be teaching “International Environmental Law” in English in the Spring Term. For syllabus, see here.

11/04/01

Professor Shibata currently has four overseas students under his supervision: Post-Doctoral from Uzbekistan, D3 from Thailand, M2 from Thailand, and M1 (expected) from Paraguay.

11/02/05

Final round of 2010 mock negotiation (Multilateral Treaty Negotation) has been successfully concluded. In addition to two international law overseas students, one GSICS Development Law Programme student from Vietnam and one Osaka University doctoral student from Hungary participated.

10/10/15

As a part of 2010 Multilateral Treaty Negotiation class, the students participted in the COP-MOP5 of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety held in Nagoya, Japan, and followed the negotiation and adoption of a new treaty on liability for biodiveristy damage arising from GMOs.

09/09/01

Professor Shibata will be conducting his research in Australia, at the Australian National University (ANU) College of Law (From September 14, 2009 to January 9, 2010). Sorry for any inconveniences.

09/05/29

2009 Spring: International Environmental Law: Class Schedule Updated!

09/04/10

2009 Spring Semester: International Environmental Law UP!

09/02/07

Final round of 2008 mock negotiation on Liability and Redress under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, successfully adopted a new treaty. The details of the class schedule is UP.

09/02/02

Lyle Glowka, Senior Legal Advisor at CBD Secretariat, gave a lecture on the Current Status of Negotiation on Liability and Redress under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety

08/10/02

Anne Daniel, Head of the International Law Division at Canadian Department of Justice held a seminar on International Environmental Negotiations.

08/4/28

The details of the 2008 International Field Work (Bonn, Germany) are up!

08/2/15

Mr. Rene Lefeber, Legal Counsel in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands gave a special seminar on 15 February 2008 !!click here!!

07/12/19

The details of the schedule of the "Int'l Environmental Law" and "Multilateral Treaty Negotiation" are here.

07/10/01

New Subject "Multilateral Treaty Negotiation" has started.

07/06/14

International Field Work “International Environmental Treaty Negotiation and Secretariat” (Fall, 2007) Registration by 29 June.

07/03/01

New Subject "Multilateral Treaty Negotiation" is established. Please see this page for details.

07/01/29

Open Class on Mock Treaty Negociation
Date: February 3 (Saturday)　10:30?17:00
Class Room: Simulation Room (6F, GSICS Building)
(You are free to enter and leave the room at any time.)
Special Guest: Mr. Shuichi Takano Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan

Please see this page for details.

06/12/12

Course: “International Cooperation Law”: Contents and schedule updated!
The mock diplomatic negotiation will start soon.
Preparation for a new subject "Multilateral Treaty Negotiation" is underway.

06/11/09

Course: International Field Work: International Treaty Negotiation: With 7 students, we went to Geneva, Switzerland to participate in the 3rd Conference of the Parties of the Rotterdam Convention on Hazardous chemicals and pesticides, October 9 to 13. Please see this page for photos and reports submitted by students.

06/09/29

"International Cooperation Law" Class Contents and Schedule UP

06/06/10

Please see the curriculum under “GSICS International Law Program”

Research Activities

15/07/10

Professor Shibata and GSICS will be a participating agency of the Japanese government's Arctic Challenge for Sustainability Project (ArCS), a new 5 year (2015-19), 3.6 bilion yen multidisciplinary reserach project with a strong component on social sciences. GSICS will be responsible for research on "Arctic Legal Order-making" focusing on the Arctic Council and its treaty-making activities. GSICS is offering to host JSPS fellows from abroad who are interested in collaborative research under this project (see invitation letter here).

15/04/23

Prof. Shibata made several presentations in April and May both in Japanee and English: April 24 and 28: "An Arctic Scientific Cooperation Agreement?" at Kobe Workshop and GRIPS Arctic seminar in Tokyo; May 16: "One Year After: What the Whaling Judgment Left Us With" at Annual Conference of World Law Association in Kyoto (in Japanese); May 22: "Antarctic Horizon Scan, JARE and International Law" at SCAR-HSSEG workshop at Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.

15/03/30

In March 2015 in London, Professor Shibata presented his papers on environemental liability at British Institute of International and Comparative Law and on Whaling judgment at Queen Mary, University of London.

15/01/05

Prof. Shibata will be in London in March to deliver speech at UL Queen Mary on "After the Judgment: Japan's proposal to resume scientific whaling in the Antarctic" and at BIICL on environmental liability regime in international law.

14/12/15

The keynote speech at the 7th Polar Law Symposium went very well, with a lot of new connections with experts in Antarctic as well as Arctic legal studies.

14/09/25

Professor Shibata will be the keynote speaker at the 7th Polar Law Symposium to be held at Hobart, Tamania, Australia, from 28 October 2014.

14/07/01

Kobe University Centre for International Law held an international symposium on "Whaling in the Antarctic: The ICJ Judgment and its Implications". It was a huge success.

14/04/7

Professor Shibata’s edited book, “International Liability Regime for Biodiversity Damage: The Nagoya- Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol” (Routledge, March 2014) is published! Inviting international law experts, negotiators and domestic environmental experts, this book examines the salient features of the new environmental liability regime. 20%off flyer is available for download.

14/02/08

Professor Shibata will attend the 76th Biennial meeting of the International Law Association (ILA) in Washington DC in April 2014 to adopt the Articles on Legal Principles on Climate Change. He will also act as a judge in the Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition.

13/06/10

Professor Shibata just concluded a contract with Routledge to publish an edited book: International Liability Regime for Biodiversity Damage: The Nagoya Kuala-Lumpur Supplementary Protocol (expected to be out in March 2014).

13/06/05

Professor Shibata attended an intersessional meeting of the ILA Legal Principles relating to Climate Change, held in Aix-en-Provence, France.

13/03/21

Professor Shibata made a presentation at the Grenoble conference grand public, entitled: “Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol: Its Legal Significance and Implementation Challenges for Japan”. For PPT used at the conference, see here

12/11/27

Professor Shibata presented a paper “Climate Change and International Legal Principles” at a symposium held in Taiwan. (October 27, photo below left).

12/11/27

Professor Shibata participated in the 75th Conference of the International Law Association (ILA), partaking in the Committee on “Legal Principles relating to Climate Change.” (Sofia, Bulgaria, August 26-30, photo above right)

12/06/07

Professor Shibata attended the United Nations International Law Commission (ILC) held in Geneva, Switzerland, as a legal assistant to the Japanese member, Professor Murase of Sophia University.

Inside the ILC

The United Nations Headquarters in Geneva

12/04/15

Professor Shibata published an article in English: “International Environmental Lawmaking in the First Decade of the Twenty-First Century: The Form and Process,” in Japanese Yearbook of International Law, Vol. 54 (2011).

12/01/15

International Law Association (ILA) Committee on Legal Principles relating to Climate Change, Deventer, the Netherlands.

The meeting in Deventer

Hugo Grotius in Delft, the Netherlands.

12/01/05

Professor Shibata published an article in English on the sources of international law in The ICJ and the Evolution of International Law: The enduring impact of the Corfu Channel case (Routlege, 2012).

11/10/31

Malaysia acceded to the Antarctic Treaty!? The legitimacy of the Antarctic Treaty System has once again confirmed by the international community.

11/09/20

A book project on Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol has started.? A related meeting in the Hague with Alejandro Lago and Edward Brans.

11/04/01

A four-year research project “Linkages and Coordination of Norms in International Legal Order: The Foundation and Role of Interstitial Norms” has been successfully concluded. See here for details.

11/03/15

Professor Shibata was a coordinator and a presenter at the International Symposium: The Significance of Adoption of the Nagoya-Kuala Lumpur Supplementary Protocol” held in Tokyo, Japan. Click here for the programme.

10/11/20

Research activities at Australian Antarctic Division: collection of ATCM documents.

10/08/20

Professor Shibata participated in the 74th Biennieal Conference of the International Law Association, following the Committee on “Legal Principles on Climate Change.”

10/01/06

Completed the research leave at the Australian National University, College of Law.

10/01/01

Professor Shibata published an article in English on the Antarctic Environmental Liability Annex. See here for details.

09/05/29

New Research Project: The Interface between International Legal Theories and MEA Negotiations: Through the Eyes of Academia-Diplomat” (MEXT Grant-in-Aid) adopted!

09/02/23

Shibata participated in the First Meeting of the Group of Friends of Co-Chairs to negotiate international rules on liability and redress under the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (Mexico City)

08/12/01

My new article, The Consequences of Non-Compliance Procedures under MEAs and the Law of Treaties Revisited, is published in The Journal of International Law and Diplomacy, Vol.107, No.3 (in Japanese).

08/11/30

Shibata became a member of the International Law Association (ILA)’s international committee on Legal Principles on Climate Change.

08/06/02

Shibata participated in the 31 Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting held in Kiev, Ukraine, as the Head of Japanese Delegation.

07/03/01

Shibata participated in the Third meeting of the ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on Liability and Redress in the Context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety as a member of the Japanese Delegation (19-23 Feb. 2007, Montreal, Canada)

06/12/15

My "Research Activities" page updated !!

06/12/12

Shibata attended the 8th Conference of the Parties of the Basel Convention on Hazardous Wastes, held from November 27 to December 1, in Nairobi, Kenya.

06/09/29

Shibata gave a lecture at JICA-sponsored training seminar "Environmental Protection for CLMV Countries" in Malaysia, Sep.19~20.

06/06/10

Shibata is attending the 29th Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting held in Edinburgh, UK, from June 12 to 23.

Other News

14/0404

Professor Shibata’s comment on ICJ Whaling judgment is cited by Peter Bridgewater’s article in The Conversation.

13/10/15

My dear friend, Jimena Nieto Carrasco, Special Advisor at the Ministry of Environment of the Republic of Colombia, gave a seminar on “Recent Negotiation and Operation of Non-Compliance Mechanisms under MEAs”.

13/09/30

Eugenius Emanuel Susento, an international student from Indonesia on ADB scholarship, successfully completed his LL.M. studies, with his thesis: “Principle of Common but Differentiated Responsibilities: The Incorporation of Current Contribution as Criteria of Differentiation of States”. Congratulations to Emanuel!

13/09/25

Professor Shibata visited, with his two graduate students, the disputed northern islands of Kunashiri and Etorofu on a Non-Visa Exchange Programme under the agreement between Japan and Russia.

Leaving the Numuro harbor on Japanese ship Etopirica, with the Minister of Northern Issues, Mr. Ichita Yamamoto.

International airport being built by the Russians on Etorofu island. Minister Yamamoto questioning the Russian official.

12/11/27

Magdi, a graduate of GSICS international law program from Hungary, now working as a lawyer in Hungary, visited Kobe with her husband (August 11, photo left). Vera, another graduate from Bulgaria, invited Professor Shibata to a local restaurant in Sofia, Bulgaria with her husband (August 27, photo right).

11/04/01

For MEXT scholarship for October 2012 English Master/Docotoral Course entrance, you should approach the local Japanese embassies and consulate-generals in your country to obtain the necessary information including the deadline for application. You should approach GSICS professors as your prospective supervisors as soon as possible but no later than mid August 2011.

11/03/25

For October 2011 English Master Course entrance at GISCS, the application deadline is 15 April 2011. You need to obtain the Letter of Consent from one of GSICS professors in order to apply. The schoalrship-based applications (JDS, Linakge program, ADB scholars, except for World Bank scholarship) for October 2011 entrance have already been closed.

08/06/06

Photos taken at 31 ATCM in Kiev, Ukraine

08/04/14

Photos taken at hte Fifth meeting of the ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on Liability and Redress in the Context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in Colombia, Cartagena.

07/03/01

Photos taken at the Third meeting of the ad hoc Open-ended Working Group on Liability and Redress in the Context of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety in Canada, Montreal.

CBD Secretariat in Montreal