XVII Conference of the ASADIP: A More Intelligent and Less Artificial Private International Law

ASADIP: A More Intelligent and Less Artificial Private International Law

By Juan Ignacio Stampalija

The XVII Conference of the American Association of Private International Law (ASADIP) was held on September 25-27. Under the title ‘A More Intelligent and Less Artificial Private International Law,’ the main regional experts, as well as international guests, met at Universidad Austral of Argentina to discuss the main challenges of current private international law.

On the first day, the Conference was opened by C. Ignacio de Casas, Secretary of Academic Affairs of the Universidad Austral School of Law and Paula María All, outgoing President of ASADIP. Moreno Rodríguez (Paraguay) gave the inaugural lecture entitled ‘Private International Law and Investment Arbitration.’

The first day of the Conference also included three panels. The first focused on the ‘Challenges of International Legal Cooperation in the Digital Era.’ It was moderated by María Blanca Noodt Taquela (Argentina) and Gonzalo Lorenzo Idiarte (Uruguay), with María Laura Capalbo (Uruguay), Juan José Cerdeira (Argentina), Marcos Dotta (Uruguay), Alejandro Menicocci (Argentina), Roberto Ruiz Diaz Labrano (Paraguay), and Valesca Raizer Borger Monschen (Brazil) as panellists. The second panel discussed ‘Contracts and Digital Assets,’ with Verónica Ruiz Abou-Nigm (Uruguay) as moderator and the participation of Jorge Oviedo Albán (Colombia), Gérardine Goh Escolar (The Hague, HCCH), Ana Mercedes López Rodríguez (Spain), Anna Veneziano (Italy, UNIDROIT, online) and Luca Castellani (Austria, UNCITRAL, online). The third panel, as is customary in all ASADIP conferences, was the Meeting of International Forums on Private International Law (MIFPIL). Paula María All (Argentina) acted as moderator and Florencia Castro (Argentina, HCCH), Anna-Joubin Bret (Vienna, UNCITRAL, video recording), Cecilia Fresnedo de Aguirre (Uruguay, CJI, OAS), Dante Negro (USA, OAS) and Anna Veneziano (Italy, UNIDROIT, online) were panellists.

The day ended with a lecture given by Andrés Rodríguez Benot (Spain) entitled ‘Party Autonomy in Household Economics: The European Experience on the Property Regime of Married Couples and Registered Partnerships.’

On the second day, the ASADIP Conference held joint activities with the Jornadas Nacionales de Derecho Civil from Argentina, with the participation of ASADIP members in Committee No. 9 on Private International Law. Under the theme ‘The New Frontiers of Party Autonomy,’ several papers were presented concerning party autonomy in different matters, such as non-parity contracts, consumer contracts, new technologies, family law, and dispute resolution, among others. Based on these papers, fifteen conclusions on this issue were drafted and unanimously passed, which can be read here (in Spanish).

To conclude the second day of the Conference, a panel entitled ‘Private International Family Law: Perspectives from Comparative Law’ was held. The panel was moderated by Carolina Harrington (Argentina) and Fabio Mastrángelo (Argentina), with presentations by María Mercedes Albornoz (Mexico), Andrés Rodríguez Benot (Spain), Nieve Rubaja (Argentina), María Laura Capalbo (Uruguay), Daniela Vargas Trejo (Brazil), and Elizabeth Villalta (El Salvador).

On the last day of the Conference, a joint HCCH-ASADIP meeting was held on ‘Private International Law and Tokens,’ with the participation of Gérardine Goh Escolar (The Hague, HCCH), Paula María All (Argentina), Fabricio Pasquot Polido (Brazil), Sebastián Paredes (Argentina), Juan Ignacio Stampalija (Argentina), and María Marta Herrera (Argentina). This was followed by the presentation of a book entitled ‘Influence and Application of the CIDIPs-OAS Conventions in Latin American Legal Systems’ (available here, in Spanish). The book was presented by Paula María All (Argentina), Dante Negro (USA, OAS), Eduardo Véscovi (Uruguay), Carolina Iud (Argentina), Daniela Trejo Vargas (Brazil), and Felicita Argaña Blendin (Paraguay). Finally, the closing speech of the ASADIP Conference was given by Didier Opertti Badán (Uruguay), Honorary President of ASADIP, who was introduced by Diego P. Fernández Arroyo (France).

In the context of the Conference, the ASADIP Assembly was held, in which the new authorities for the period 2024-2027 were elected. Verónica Ruiz Abou-Nigm, from Uruguay, Chair of Private International Law at the University of Edinburgh, was elected President of ASADIP. Marcos Dotta Salgueiro (Uruguay) Vice-President for International Relations; Jorge Oviedo Albán (Colombia) Vice-President for Academic Affairs; Juan Ignacio Stampalija (Argentina) Vice-President for Communications and Publications, and Felicita Argaña (Paraguay) Vice-President for Finance.

Likewise, Tatiana Cardoso Squeff (Brazil) is Deputy Vice-President for International Relations; María Alejandra Ruiz Gómez (Venezuela), Deputy Academic Vice-President; Daniel Rojas Tamayo (Colombia), Deputy Vice-President for Communications and Publications, while Candela Villegas (Argentina) is Deputy Vice-President for Finance.

Moreover, María Mercedes Albornoz (Mexico) was elected as ASADIP Secretary General and Inez Lopes (Brazil) as Deputy Secretary General.

In addition, ten members were appointed to the governing board: Bruno Rivero (Uruguay), Carlos Odriozola (Mexico), Claudia Lugo (Venezuela), Edgar Riffler (Paraguay), Fernando Meinero (Brazil), Jaime Gallegos Zúñiga (Chile), Jaime Vintimilla (Ecuador), Margie-Lys Jaime (Panama), Paloma Hernández (Argentina), and Taydit Peña Lorenzo (Cuba).

Finally, it should be recalled that Didier Opertti Badán (Uruguay) continues as Honorary President, while José Antonio Moreno Rodríguez (Paraguay) continues as President of the Advisory Council and Carolina Silvero (Paraguay) retains the role of Administrative Secretary of ASADIP.