Link here

The Embassy of Sweden in Seoul and International IDEA are co-hosting a webinar on how to protect democracy during the outbreak of COVID-19, sharing examples and experiences from Australia, the Republic of Korea and Sweden.

The Drive for Democracy is a key focus area for the Swedish Government. The initiative aims to provide support to the institutions, processes and defenders of democracy, while also responding to the growing threats and challenges facing democracy today. As a part of this drive, Sweden co-organizes “Democracy Talks” with partners all over the world.

Link here

This event seeks to compare legal perspectives on the experience of technology, privacy, and COVID-19 crisis response in Australia, Singapore, Mainland China and Hong Kong, which are not typically considered together. By comparatively exploring the legal frameworks for the COVIDsafe app in Australia, there is the potential to enhance international coordination in digital responses to public health crises.

Link here

The Coronavirus pandemic both lays bare deep and ongoing injustices in our society and provides a moment to re-evaluate and reset our political conversation. At the heart of this challenge is our political system itself. The political response to this crisis, with authoritarian over-policing and stimulus geared to supporting capital over people, shows how our current governing systems are skewed in favour of the powerful.

Link here

Conference Host and Moderator: Prof. Dr. Bartosz Makowicz Chair Owner | Chair for Polish Public Law, European and Commercial Law, European-University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)

14:30 – 14:45 Registration

14:45 – 15:00 Welcoming words Prof. Dr. Bartosz Makowicz Chair Owner | Chair for Polish Public Law, European and Commercial Law, European-University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)

15:00 – 15:50 Panel 1: Prof. Dr. iur. Beate Rudolf Director | German Institute for Human Rights Prof. Markus Gonzalez Beilfuss Professor of Law | Faculty of Law, Barcelona University

15:50 – 16:10 Open forum discussion 16:10 – 16:15 Short break

Link here

Recording here

We’re looking forward to the fourth webinar from the #HRvsCOVID series on 2 June 2020 (5 pm CET, 4 pm UK time). The webinar will address the question of the human rights of migrants in the context of COVID-19. Here is the announcement of the upcoming webinar:

Human Rights of Migrants, COVID 19 and the ECHR

Webinar

2 June 2020

5 pm CET/4 pm BTS

Link here

Introductory Remarks

• Jeremy Bransten, Regional Director For Europe, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Presentation

• Ivan Bedrov, Director of the Bulgarian Service, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

• Szabolcs Panyi, Senior Investigative Journalist, Direkt36

• Oana Serafim, Director of the Romanian Service to Moldova and Romania, Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty

Link here

Link to join meeting here

Issues to be discussed will include:

• Overview of State of Emergency Regulations – including their conformity with constitutional provisions as well as regional, continental and international norms and standards.

• Socio-economic impacts of State of Emergency Regulations.

• Impact of Emergency Regulations on access to basic public services, particularly health services/systems.

• Impact of Emergency Regulations on vulnerable groups – particularly women, youth, children/elderly, Refugees and IDPs.

• Impact of Emergency Regulations on State-Citizens relations.

• Control of Executive under Emergency Regulations.

Link here

Invitation to a Webinar “Federalism and the Corona-Crisis – International Experiences”

News vom 14.05.2020

Forum of Federations and FU Berlin, Prof. Dr. Sabine Kropp

WEDNESDAY MAY 27th AT:

Canada 10:00 – 11:30 AM (EST)

Germany 16:00 – 17:30 (CET)

India 7:30 – 9:00 PM (IST)

REGISTRATION:

Email to forum@forumfed.org

Link here

Speakers:

1. Kevin Tan (National University of Singapore);

2. Yeh Jiunn-rong (National Taiwan University and former Minister of Education);

3. Melissa Crouch (University of New South Wales); and

4. Aparna Chandra (National Law University, Delhi).

Register here: https://bit.ly/2yQrrrI

Link here

Please join us for a conversation with one of Europe’s most respected statesmen, former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt.

Hosted by Lowy Institute Executive Director Dr Michael Fullilove, this conversation will examine topics such as the state of the European Union after Brexit and COVID-19, Sweden’s controversial approach to controlling the pandemic, and the transatlantic alliance as America’s presidential election approaches and Angela Merkel’s term draws to a close.

Link here

The COVID-19 pandemic presents unprecedented constitutional challenges to states worldwide, and to their regional and international cooperation. The Institute for International Law of Peace and Armed Conflict (IFHV) and Verfassungsblog are bringing together internationally recognized experts in a three-part online discussion series to reflect on these challenges and ways to address them.

Session III: 26 May 2020 – 4:00 – 6:00 pm

“Universally respected but temporarily neglected?” – COVID-19 as a crisis for human rights and multilateralism

Link here

Join Unlock Democracy and a cast of brilliant speakers for a discussion on Democracy After Lockdown.

About this Event

The path we take out of lockdown is down to what each of us do right now. The shape of democracy after lockdown is up to us.

Join Unlock Democracy and special guest speakers to discuss the future of our democracy after Covid-19.

The session will include presentations from:

• Adrienne Buller Common Wealth on 'Commoning the Company'

• Dr. Oliver Escobar University of Edinburgh & Edinburgh Futures Institute on ‘Shared crises and the future of democratic innovation’

Link here’

The COVID-19 pandemic challenges the trade-offs between privacy and public interest enshrined in existing legislation and woven into daily life. We are witnessing unprecedented restrictions on freedom of movement and gatherings and dramatically enhanced digital and physical surveillance. This webinar will consider the justifications for the changes, from a privacy and public interest perspective, and the implications for when and how we should transition out of the current arrangements. What should we carry forward with us as permanent change; what do we have to avoid as an unwelcome legacy?

Panellists: Professor Megan Richardson, Professor Jeannie Paterson, Associate Professor Prof Mark Taylor and Associate Professor Stacey Steele

Link here

The rapid spread of Covid-19 is not only affecting our lives and the global economy in unprecedented ways but is also deeply changing the way our governments and local authorities work. Not only companies, but also NGOs and individuals increasingly face new challenges when it comes to engaging with the public, stakeholders and governments on non- Covid19-related issues. In particular, as the virus continues to spread across our countries, there is a need for a safe conversation aimed at discussing how NGOs can prepare for a reality and near future heavily shaped by COVID-19. By enticing an unusually high level of sustained popular attention, COVID-19 is set to engender a unique, emotionally shared reaction to a shared political experience. As such, this may offer a long-overdue ‘constitutional moment’ for Europe.

Link here

Dr Kevin Casas-Zamora, Secretary-General of International IDEA, will give a talk for Electoral Transparency on Monday, 18 May 2020, during the conference for Electoral Transparency entitled "Challenges of democracy in the context of COVID-19".

If you are interested in participating, please complete this form and you will be contacted shortly. Certificates will be delivered.

The conference is conducted in Spanish.

Link here

The COVID-19 pandemic has already profoundly changed how we live and work, and how the world is organised. To understand these changes and help navigate a post-Corona world, the European University Institute (EUI) School of Transnational Governance (STG) presents a webcast series of conversations and interviews with academics and high-level policy-makers.

This series will kick-off with addressing the post-Corona world and democracy, by examining the questions such as:

• Is democracy paying a price under the pandemic?

• What are the new boundaries between surveillance, privacy and individual freedoms?

• What role for parliaments and civil society?

Discussants:

• Ivan Krastev is Chairman at Centre for Liberal Strategies, Sofia and Permanent Fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM), Vienna.

• Kalypso Nicolaidis is Professor at School of Transnational Governance and University of Oxford

• Anne-Marie Slaughter is the CEO of New America, a think and action tank dedicated to renewing the promise of America

Link here

TEPSA will be hosting the latest TEPSA Debate on Thursday 14 May at 14:00 CET via Zoom. The event will bring together experts from the TEPSA Network to discuss the theme “COVID-19 response vs. Rule of law’’.

Link here

The crisis response to the COVID-19 pandemic has to balance the need to defeat the virus with safeguarding democracy and citizens rights and freedoms. How can we protect the privacy of Europe’s population while tracking the virus? How can we counter the disinformation that is being spread about COVID-19 and preserve freedom of expression? What will be the state of European democracies after the crisis is gone? Are there only risks or also opportunities for Europe? At this event Věra Jourová, European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, will be in conversation with Michael Leigh, senior fellow at Bruegel and Sam Fleming Brussels bureau chief of the Financial Times. This event is part of a series of talks and debates with Europe’s political leaders jointly organised by the Financial Times and Bruegel.

Link here

Without a doubt, COVID-19 will leave an indelible political and economic mark, but will also force institutional reforms to confront future challenges, opening the door to opportunities for citizen participation, social dialogue, and the strengthening of democracy and the rule of law. To discuss these challenges and opportunities in detail, the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance (International IDEA) and the World Justice Project (WJP) invite you to participate in a webinar entitled “The impact of COVID-19 on democracy and rule of law in Latin America” featuring recognized experts from the region.

Link here

Livestreamed directly from the Verfassungsblog website