Month: November 2025

Call for Papers: The Meta Oversight Board as a Global Standard-Setter

November 21, 2025 / / 0 Comments

We are excited to announce a Call for Papers for a symposium on the Meta Oversight Board and its role in shaping global standards for online content moderation.

The symposium will explore three main areas:

  1. Landmark Decisions – Analysing decisions that advance international human rights law.
  2. Online–Offline Divide – Exploring whether different standards of free speech should apply online.
  3. Regionally Sensitive Content Moderation – Examining cultural, linguistic, and regional impacts on content moderation.

The symposium will take place at City St George’s, University of London on 22 May 2026. The organisers can cover up to £500 per participant for travel and accommodation.

View the full Call for Papers.

We aim to publish the papers as an edited volume. If you wish to take part, please send a short abstract (up to 500 words) and a bio blurb to the co-organisers, Jed Odermatt and Bilyana Petkova at: Jed.Odermatt@city.ac.uk  and B.Petkova@unwe.bg .

Abstracts will be reviewed on a rolling basis until 20 January 2026, and applicants will be informed on the success of their applications by end of January 2026.

The event is supported by the Bulgarian Science Fund and The City Law School.

Book symposium: EU law and policy on customs and global value chains at a time of upheaval

November 12, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Date: Tuesday, 18 November

Time: 5-7 pm

Location: TG013, City Law School

Speakers/Authors: Timothy Lyons KC, 39 Essex Chambers

Josephine Norris, European Commission & Vrije Universiteit Brussel (online)

Chair: Panos Koutrakos, City St George’s, University of London

Discussants: Maria Kendrick, City St George’s, University of London

David Collins, City St George’s, University of London

Description:

In this book symposium, the authors of two recent publications on EU law and policy on customs and global value chains will present their new books.

EU Customs Law. Fourth Edition by Timothy Lyons (OUP 2025)

The fourth edition of EU Customs Law provides a rigorous and thorough examination of all aspects of EU Customs Law.

Continue reading

Digital Rules of Origin – A New Frontier in Digital Trade

November 6, 2025 / / 0 Comments

By Prof David Collins

Rules of Origin (ROO) are among the most controversial and complicated aspects of international trade law. This is especially so in a world in which multilateralism is in decline, paving the way for trade based on the rules found in preferential bilateral or regional free trade agreements (FTAs). The intricate nature of ROO is further exacerbated by intangible nature of the digital economy, where a significant portion of global GDP and world trade is now generated (roughly 15 per cent and 25 per cent respectively).

Preferential FTAs are the key exception to the World Trade Organization (WTO) principle of Most Favoured Nation (MFN), itself found in Article I of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and Article II of the GATS (General Agreement on Trade in Services). Preferentialism allows for better treatment to goods and services originating from FTA party countries, typically in the form of lower tariffs, than is accorded to the rest of the WTO community. In the case of goods, this treatment is contingent on the relevant good actually originating from the partner country. The good is not legally entitled to the lower tariff if it is not “from” the partner country, but is instead merely shipped through it.

The WTO Agreement on Rules of Origin usefully sets out standardized procedures for how origin of goods is calculated, requiring that all WTO members apply their ROO impartially, transparently, and consistently, aiming to ensure that ROO do not restrict, distort, or disrupt international trade. More importantly, each FTA specifies what specific percentage of a given product is required to be “from” the partner country, or regional grouping, for the purposes of satisfying the conditions for preferential treatment. These levels are a vital element of trade negotiations, currently featuring prominently in the CPTPP review and USMCA renegotiations for example. ROO can be complicated for composite goods like automobiles, which are manufactured and assembled across of range of jurisdictions in complex value chains. The burden of complying with ROO is thought to be so onerous that some companies choose to forego their preferential entitlement, trading instead on MFN terms.

Continue reading

The City Law School Hosts Symposium on the WTO’s 30 Year Anniversary

November 4, 2025 / / 0 Comments

By Cheryl Dine

On Wednesday 29th October 2025, The City Law School hosted a symposium titled ‘Cheers to 30 Years: Entering a New Era of Multilateral Trade Rules’, organised by the Digital Trade Research Group, chaired by Professor David Collins.

This event brought together leading academics, policymakers, diplomats, and international civil servants to explore the ever evolving role of the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the global digital economy.

The Opening Remarks were delivered by Professor David Townend, Associate Dean for Research and Enterprises, on behalf of Professor Richard Aschcroft, the Dean of The City Law School. Professor Townend remarked on the importance of the WTO in the creation and delivery of some of the Law School’s modules.

“As we mark this important milestone, we also hope that today’s symposium serves as the beginning of a lasting and meaningful partnership between City St Georges, University of London and the WTO. In a time of profound global change, collaboration between academic institutions and international organisations is more important than ever. Together, we have the potential to drive impactful, evidence-based change in international economic law, and to support the development of a more responsive, inclusive, and resilient multilateral trading system.” – Professor David Townend.

The City Law School was honoured to welcome senior representatives from the WTO in Geneva, to City, University of London. Mr Samer Seif El Yazal, Chief of Section in the WTO’s  Institute for Training and Technical Cooperation (ITTC), delivered a lecture on the historical significance of the WTO and its continuing role in supporting global trade cooperation. His lecture was followed by another lecture by Ms Tanuja Garde, Director of the WTO Intellectual Property Division, where Ms Garde highlighted the contribution of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) to innovation and development within the multilateral trading system.

Continue reading

City, University of London

© 2025 City Law Forum

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑

Skip to toolbar