Qatar Law Forum 2012 to Focus on the Rule of Law in the Arab World

Doha, May 03 (QNA) -Under the patronage of HH the Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Qatar Law forum 2012 will start on Friday the 4th till Sunday the 6th at the Ritz Carlton, Doha under the title" the rule of Law in a Time of Change." HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabr Al Thani, will officially open the Forum. Qatar Law Forum 2012 will be attended by HE Minister of Economy and Finance Yousef Hussain Kamal, and Governor of Qatar Central Bank (QCB) HE Abdullah bin Saud Al Thani. Co-Conveners of the forum are each of RT HON The lord Woolf, President of the Qatar international court and dispute resolution Centre (QIDRC), Chairman of the Qatar Financial Centre (QFC) Appeals Body, Sir William Blair and Chairman of the QFC Regulatory Tribunal, Michael Thomas QC. Of the prominent figures also attending the forum is the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Luis Moreno-Ocampo. The Forum will start with junior lawyers from 20 nations debating: "The Rule of Law and the Future" both in terms of their own countries and from a global perspective. Speaking at a press brief Thursday to mark the start of the Qatar law forum 2012, Lord Woolf, said, "the unique aspect of the Qatar Law Forum 2012 is that in many cases this will be the first time a Chief Justice, Judge or Attorney General will meet such an array of their equivalents from other countries in the same venue." He added that the forum aims at helping to "achieve a deeper global understanding and commitment to the rule of law which can only come through dialogue, mutual respect and face-to-face interaction and this is what the Forum facilitates." "The 1st forum back in 2009 was a remarkable success and this forum is building on the previous one." Lord Wolf added at the brief today. He said" one of the important lessons we've learned from the previous forum that people know that Qatar has the freedom and openness to discussions which is important to all of us." "All of us are comfortable to engage in this discussion here." Lord Wolf remarked. Asked on the purposes of the forum this year, Lord Wolf said they'll concentrate on the representatives of the Gulf and the Middle east this year to discuss different issues, the subject of the rule of law and how it changed in the Arab world as well as issues of finance." On a question if there'll be any local or Arab participation on solving the current issues which the Middle East is now seeing, Lord Woolf said the forum will tackle these issues from a financial point of view as the forum isn't to discuss local issues as much as it would discuss the global ones on a wider space, also Sir Thomas added to this point saying the forum will focus on the experience of learning from others. Answering whether the financial crisis is on the agenda of the forum, Lord Woolf said, "we'll focus, in particular, on the needs of ethical standards to fight financial corruption, the need of global enterprises and banks to adopt higher ethical standards in the constant battle we're having with corruption all around the world." Asked whether the forum will address the issues of money and financial corruption the Arab spring has unveiled in some states such as Libya, Egypt and Tunisia, Co-Convenor Blair said," I think countries have to discuss this issue on a regular basis, however we're not discussing it in this forum." For his part, Robin Knowles, a member of the organizational committee of the forum, noted during the press brief that "Qatar's decision to hold the 1st and the 2nd law forum shows Qatar willing to put itself as a center stage." "We live in a global space and we benefit from others in different ways, in terms of economic challenges may be or the challenges of getting ready for holding the 2022 games." he added. He clarified, "in my opinion, Qatar's ready to host the world and take the role of leadership." Among the topics to be discussed in the Forum is the constitutional change in the context of the Arab Spring, which will be taken up in a session headed by Lord Phillips, the President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom. The session will address crucial consequences in the legal context in attendance of prominent speakers from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya and Bahrain. "The forum now draws attendance from more countries," said Thomas. This is in addition to the participation of Qatari officials and administration members which is indicative of their support." Delegates will also confer over the rule of law and its implications on the economic, political, and social development fields particularly noting the role of ethics in law and finance and resolving disputes over Islamic finance. "We come to Qatar to discuss problems facing the global legal world in respect of the rule of law. This presents an opportunity to go into issues which can only be improved by meetings conducted by leaders of legal professions from all over the world," said Lord Woolf. "With the warm hospitality in Qatar, it is always what those who visit the country come to expect," he added. HE Qtar's Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani will officially open the Forum and deliver the keynote speech on Sunday whereas HE Qatar's Minister of Economy and Finance Yousef Hussain Kamal will be also giving a keynote speech. Further underlining the global spectrum of the Forum, a later panel session titled "Achieving Global Understanding of the Rule of Law" will be conducted by Chief Justices. It will be presided by The Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales in attendance of Lord Judge with the Chief Justices of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, China, Egypt, Libya, the Maldives, Qatar and Rwanda. "The Qatar Law Forum 2012 will examine the rule of law from more than just the context of how legal systems operate across the world. Our speakers will discuss the application of the rule of law to the most pressing and topical matters of the day including continued global financial instability, avoiding international conflict and freedom of communications, often from an Islamic point of view," said Blair. Blair also stressed the importance of sports law as a theme specific to Qatar's pioneering status in sporting experiences and facilities. "The proper legal infrastructure to deal with disputes in the sporting world is a new topic in the legal arena," he explained. "2012 Olympics - 2022 World Cup" will be a specialist discussion within the forum chaired by Andrew Longmate of the Qatar 2022 Committee's General Counsel. He also praised Qatar's hosting of the law forums: "Qatar's decision to host the first and second law forums shows that it is willing to place itself at center stage. We live in a global world, and the world is responding to that leadership." The Forum, which boasts the participation of leading figures from a myriad of fields, will also feature a panel session chaired by CEO of Forbes Associates and former communications adviser to the National Transitional Council in Libya Patrick Forbes. It will address freedom of communication and expression amid current changes in the region and internationally. "People are attracted to Qatar to discuss freedom of expression, they can be open and comfortable in engaging in such discussions," said Lord Woolf. "On behalf of the conveners and the organizing committee I would like to thank our patron, HH the Emir of the State of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani and the Ministry of Foreign Affair s Permanent Committee for Organizing Conferences for all their support. The hosting of this global forum here in Doha is a fine example of Qatar s faith in the rule of law and its willingness to lead the rule of law debate in the region," said Thomas. The first Qatar Law Forum was held in Doha on May 29-31, 2009. The event is supported by the Government of Qatar and held under th