Dispute settlement

The Arctic is an increasingly important region faced with major challenges caused not only by the effects of climate change, but also by a growing interest in its living and non-living resources, its attraction as a new destination for tourism, and as a route for navigation. It is not only the eight Arctic States that have paid an increased level of attention to the region; several non-Arctic actors from Asia and Europe also seek to gain more influence in the High North.

International trade rules have significant impacts on environmental law and policy, at the domestic, regional and global levels. At the World Trade Organization (WTO), dispute settlement tribunals are increasingly called to decide on environment- and health-related questions. Can governments treat products differently based on environmental considerations? Can they block the import of highly carcinogenic asbestos-containing products or genetically modified crops?

From 15-17 November 2012, the Main Hall of the Faculty of Law of the University of Porto (FDUP) brought together eminent academics, distinguished members of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, directors of research centres in the area of the Law of the Sea, representatives of international organizations established under the framework of UNCLOS, policymakers and representatives of the entrepreneurial sector and the blue economy for the international conference '30 years after the signature of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea : the protection of the env