The Great Lakes Pact – Two Years On
Issues of Implementation and Enforcement
Call for Papers
Academic Conference
London School of Economics and Political Science
29-30 May 2009
The Great Lakes Region in Central Africa has been the site of the most devastating
armed conflicts and humanitarian crises the world has witnessed since the end of the
Cold War. In various parts of the region, the legacy of colonialism, ethnic rivalry,
weak state structures and opportunities for the exploitation of natural resources have
given rise to a vicious cycle of violence, displacement, and institutional collapse.
The Great Lakes Pact, adopted by eleven African states in December 2006, represents
the most comprehensive effort yet to address the root causes of these conflicts and lay
the foundations for sustainable peace and development in the region. Within in the
framework of the Pact, the member states have assumed detailed obligations in areas
ranging from democracy and good governance to economic and humanitarian issues,
and committed themselves to their implementation through the adoption of concrete
Programmes of Action. The Pact thus comprises a complex set of interlocking and
mutually reinforcing legal frameworks designed to create conditions for security,
stability, and reconstruction in the region.
In September 2007, the International Humanitarian Law Project at the London School
of Economics and Political Science held a Symposium to discuss the content of the
Pact and its Protocols. The follow-up Conference on 29-30 May 2009 will focus on
the implementation and enforcement of the Protocols. Individuals who played an
integral role in drafting the Pact and Protocols as well as those responsible for its
implementation have been invited to participate during the course of the first day.
The second day has been specifically set aside for the scholarly community to offer
critical input and engage with those responsible for the implementation and
enforcement of the Pact.
Papers are invited on questions relevant to the implementation and enforcement of
the Great Lakes Pact, the Programmes for Action and the Protocols, in particular:
The Programme of Action for the Promotion of Democracy and Good Governance,
including the
· Protocol on Democracy and Good Governance
· Protocol on Judicial Cooperation
· Protocol against the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources
· Protocol on the Management of Information and Communication
· Protocol for the Prevention and the Punishment of the Crime of Genocide,
War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity and All Forms of Discrimination
The Programme of Action on Economic Development and Regional Integration,
including the
· Protocol on the Specific Reconstruction and Development Zone
The Programme of Action for Peace and Security, including the
· Protocol on Non-Aggression and Mutual Defence
The Programme of Action on Humanitarian and Social Issues, including the
· Protocol on the Prevention and Suppression of Sexual Violence Against
Women and Children
· Protocol on the Protection and Assistance to Internally Displaced Persons
· Protocol on Property Rights of Returning Persons
The text of the Pact, the Programmes of Action and the Protocols can be accessed
here: http://www.lse.ac.uk/collections/law/projects/greatlakes/ihl-greatlakes.htm
We will also consider submissions which critically examine the implementation and
enforcement of international legal norms in armed conflicts and post-conflict
environments outside the region to the extent that they may shed light on the
challenges that face the region. However, substantial attention should be devoted to
the implications and relevance of these experiences to the implementation and
enforcement of those norms in the Great Lakes Region.
Abstracts (max. 500 words), together with a short informal biography (max. 100
words) should be submitted to IHL.Project@lse.ac.uk by 1 March 2009. Successful
applicants will be informed by mid-March 2009. A first draft of the final papers will
be required by 18 May 2009. Please contact IHL.Project@lse.ac.uk with any queries.