--- title: "Conferencia Internacional de Derecho Económico:" description: "IX Conferencia Internacional de Derecho Económico: Transformaciones globales y desafíos del desarrollo sostenible is a professional conference in Quito,…" url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/conferences/professional/ix-conferencia-internacional-de-derecho-economico-transformaciones-globales-y-desafios-del-desarrollo-sostenible-2026" --- # IX Conferencia Internacional de Derecho Económico: Transformaciones globales y desafíos del desarrollo sostenible Nov 24–26, 2026[Quito, Ecuador](https://www.google.com/maps/search/?api=1\&query=Quito%2C%20Ecuador)In-person Starts in 17 days[Registration open](https://www.uasb.edu.ec/avisos/convocatoria-a-ponencias-de-la-ix-conferencia-internacional-de-derecho-economico-transformaciones-globales-y-desafios-del-desarrollo-sostenible/) The IX International Conference on Economic Law, hosted in Quito, ECU, will delve into the complex interplay between global transformations and the challenges of sustainable development. This academic event serves as a crucial forum for legal scholars, practitioners, and policymakers to dissect contemporary economic legal issues within an evolving international landscape. The conference aims to foster dialogue on how legal frameworks can adapt to new global realities while promoting sustainable practices. ## Committees & topics - Topics New Economic Geopolitics and Strategic Security · Public Finance, Tax Justice and Sustainable Development · Business, Labor and Human Rights · Competition Law, Intellectual Property and Innovation ## Why it matters In an era marked by rapid global shifts, the role of economic law in shaping sustainable development trajectories is more critical than ever. This conference provides a platform for in-depth analysis of how legal instruments can either facilitate or hinder progress towards environmental, social, and economic sustainability. Discussions will likely touch upon the need for innovative legal solutions to address issues such as climate change, resource depletion, and equitable economic growth, reflecting a global imperative to balance development with planetary health. The insights generated from this gathering are particularly relevant for understanding the legal underpinnings of international cooperation and national policy-making in the pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals. By examining the legal dimensions of global transformations, participants will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing nations worldwide. The focus on economic law highlights its foundational role in structuring markets, regulating trade, and influencing investment, all of which have profound implications for sustainable development outcomes. ## How to prepare Delegates preparing for this conference should focus on developing a robust understanding of the current global economic legal landscape and its intersection with sustainable development principles. A key area of preparation involves analyzing how different legal systems and international agreements address issues such as environmental protection, social equity, and economic stability. Understanding the nuances of these legal frameworks will be essential for engaging in productive discussions. Furthermore, participants should consider how various stakeholders, including governments, corporations, and civil society organizations, interact within these legal structures. Applying concepts from lessons such as "hidden-stakeholders" and "engagement-strategies" can help in identifying key actors and understanding their influence on economic legal reforms. Delegates should also be prepared to offer concrete examples and case studies from their own regions or areas of expertise to enrich the discussions and provide practical perspectives on the theoretical frameworks presented. ## Country perspectives Where the most-relevant 3 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile. [Ecuador](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ecuador) [As the host nation, ECU is deeply invested in discussions around sustainable development and economic law, particularly concerning resource management and indigenous rights.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ecuador) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ecuador) [ECU, a country rich in biodiversity and natural resources, faces unique challenges in balancing economic development with environmental protection. Its legal frameworks often grapple with issues related to resource extraction, land use, and the rights of indigenous communities, making its perspective on sustainable economic law particularly relevant.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ecuador) [Brazil](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [BRA's perspective will likely focus on the legal challenges and opportunities in managing vast natural resources, such as the Amazon rainforest, within a global economic context.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [BRA, with its significant natural resources and a rapidly developing economy, offers a critical perspective on the legal and economic complexities of sustainable development. Discussions from a BRA viewpoint might highlight the tensions between agricultural expansion, industrial growth, and environmental conservation, and the role of law in mediating these conflicts.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [DEU will likely emphasize the importance of robust regulatory frameworks and international cooperation in achieving sustainable economic practices.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Role in topic](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [As a leading economy with a strong commitment to environmental protection and renewable energy, DEU can offer insights into advanced legal and policy approaches for sustainable economic development. Its perspective might focus on green technologies, circular economy models, and the role of international economic law in fostering global sustainability.](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) ## Topics & background The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it. 1 ### New Economic Geopolitics and Strategic Security The post-Cold War consensus that deeper trade integration would steadily reduce interstate friction has unraveled over the past decade. The 2018 US-China tariff escalation, the COVID-19 supply shock, Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, and the weaponization of financial sanctions (SWIFT exclusions, frozen central bank reserves) have pushed governments to treat economic interdependence as a strategic vulnerability. The result is an emerging doctrine often described as 'de-risking' or 'economic security,' in which export controls on semiconductors, screening of inbound and outbound investment, critical minerals stockpiling, and industrial subsidies (the US CHIPS and Inflation Reduction Acts, the EU's Critical Raw Materials Act and Net-Zero Industry Act, China's dual circulation strategy) are framed as national security tools rather than trade policy. The core dispute centers on the boundary between legitimate security measures and disguised protectionism under WTO law, and on how middle and developing economies should position themselves amid bloc formation. Friend-shoring, near-shoring, and the expansion of BRICS+ have created overlapping and sometimes incompatible trade architectures. Disputes over the WTO Appellate Body, the use of secondary sanctions, and the extraterritorial reach of US export controls have intensified debates about the rules-based system's survival. Today, the question is whether the multilateral trading order can be reformed to accommodate security exceptions without collapsing into managed trade. Latin American economies in particular face acute trade-offs between alignment with major partners, attracting nearshoring investment, and preserving policy space for their own industrial development. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Architect of export controls, sanctions regimes, and friend-shoring industrial policy](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Principal target of de-risking and driver of alternative trade and financial architectures](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Test case for the weaponization of finance and energy following 2022 sanctions](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) - [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Leading EU economy recalibrating its China exposure and energy dependence](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) - [Mexico](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/mexico) [Primary nearshoring beneficiary under USMCA, navigating US-China pressures](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/mexico) - [Brazil](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [BRICS+ heavyweight balancing strategic autonomy with Western markets](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) 2 ### Public Finance, Tax Justice and Sustainable Development The international tax architecture, largely shaped by the OECD since the 1960s, has come under sustained criticism for enabling profit shifting by multinationals and tax competition among states, eroding the fiscal capacity needed to finance the Sustainable Development Goals. The 2013 BEPS project, the 2021 OECD/G20 Inclusive Framework agreement on a 15% global minimum corporate tax (Pillar Two) and the partial reallocation of taxing rights (Pillar One) marked a significant shift, but implementation has been uneven and Pillar One remains stalled. UNCTAD estimates that developing countries lose hundreds of billions of dollars annually to illicit financial flows and aggressive tax planning, even as debt service now exceeds health or education spending in a growing number of low-income states. The core dispute is over who sets the rules. In late 2023 the UN General Assembly, led by the African Group, voted to begin negotiating a UN Framework Convention on International Tax Cooperation, over the objections of most OECD members who preferred to keep standard-setting within the OECD. The negotiation, ongoing through an ad hoc intergovernmental committee, raises foundational questions about taxation of the digital economy, transparency of beneficial ownership, taxation of high-net-worth individuals (the Brazilian G20 presidency's proposal for a minimum tax on billionaires), and the treatment of extractive industries. The issue intersects with sovereign debt distress, climate finance commitments, and the post-Addis Ababa financing-for-development agenda. The 2025 Financing for Development conference in Seville and continuing debt negotiations under the G20 Common Framework keep these questions at the center of the global economic agenda. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Largest source of MNE headquarters; ambivalent on Pillar Two implementation and UN tax convention](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [Brazil](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [G20 leader on taxing the ultra-wealthy and SDG-aligned fiscal reform](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) - [Nigeria](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/nigeria) [Lead sponsor of the UN tax convention resolution on behalf of the African Group](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/nigeria) - [Colombia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/colombia) [Latin American champion of progressive tax reform and extractive-sector taxation](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/colombia) - [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Key OECD/EU advocate of Pillar Two and minimum taxation of capital](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) - [Ireland](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ireland) [Emblematic low-tax jurisdiction central to corporate tax debates](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ireland) 3 ### Business, Labor and Human Rights The modern business and human rights agenda crystallized with the unanimous endorsement of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs) by the Human Rights Council in 2011, building on the 'Protect, Respect, Remedy' framework developed by John Ruggie. The UNGPs articulated a non-binding tripartite duty: states must protect against corporate human rights abuses, companies must respect human rights through due diligence, and victims must have access to effective remedy. More than a decade later, persistent abuses in global supply chains — from the 2013 Rana Plaza collapse to allegations of forced labor in cotton, cobalt, palm oil, and electronics value chains — have driven a shift from voluntary guidance toward binding rules. The core dispute is whether corporate accountability should remain primarily a matter of soft law and national implementation, or move to a binding international instrument. Since 2014, an Open-Ended Intergovernmental Working Group of the Human Rights Council has negotiated a draft legally binding treaty on transnational corporations, championed by Ecuador and South Africa but resisted by most home states of major multinationals. In parallel, jurisdictions are legislating unilaterally: France's 2017 duty-of-vigilance law, Germany's 2021 Supply Chain Act, the EU's 2024 Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD), and Norway's Transparency Act impose mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence with extraterritorial reach. In Latin America, the agenda is sharpened by conflicts around extractive industries, indigenous consultation under ILO Convention 169, defenders of land and environment (the Escazú Agreement entered into force in 2021), and informal labor. The debate now centers on harmonization across jurisdictions, the liability of parent companies, the role of judicial cooperation, and the just transition for workers in decarbonizing sectors. Key players - [Ecuador](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ecuador) [Co-leader, with South Africa, of the binding treaty process at the HRC](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ecuador) - [South Africa](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/south-africa) [Co-sponsor of the intergovernmental treaty negotiations](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/south-africa) - [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Major economy implementing mandatory supply chain due diligence](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) - [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Pioneer of the corporate duty of vigilance and EU CSDDD advocate](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) - [Colombia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/colombia) [Frontline state for human rights defenders and extractive-sector disputes](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/colombia) - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Home to major MNEs; uses trade tools (UFLPA, Section 307) rather than treaty engagement](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) 4 ### Competition Law, Intellectual Property and Innovation The interface between competition policy and intellectual property has been transformed by the rise of digital platforms, the consolidation of global pharmaceutical and seed markets, and the strategic importance of frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, and biotechnology. Antitrust authorities in the US, EU, China, Brazil, and elsewhere have brought landmark cases against Google, Apple, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft, while the EU's Digital Markets Act (in force 2023) and analogous regimes in the UK, Japan, and South Korea establish ex ante obligations for designated 'gatekeepers.' These developments mark a partial departure from the consumer-welfare-only Chicago School framework that dominated competition enforcement since the 1980s. On the intellectual property side, the COVID-19 pandemic reopened long-standing North-South debates about access to medicines and technology transfer. The WTO's June 2022 Ministerial Decision provided a limited waiver of certain TRIPS provisions for COVID-19 vaccines, falling short of the broader waiver proposed by India and South Africa in 2020. Negotiations on a WHO Pandemic Agreement, concluded in 2025, continue to grapple with pathogen access and benefit sharing. Simultaneously, the WIPO Treaty on Genetic Resources and Associated Traditional Knowledge, adopted in May 2024, marked the first new WIPO treaty in over a decade and a significant gain for biodiversity-rich developing countries. The core dispute is how to calibrate exclusive rights and market power to incentivize innovation while preserving access, contestability, and the policy space for industrial and technological catch-up. Generative AI raises new questions about training data, copyright, and market concentration in foundation models that competition and IP regimes are only beginning to address. Key players - [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Home of dominant digital and pharma firms; active antitrust enforcement and IP standard-setter](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) - [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Major IP filer and aggressive competition enforcer against domestic and foreign platforms](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) - [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Lead voice for TRIPS flexibilities and generic medicines; rising digital regulator](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) - [Brazil](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [Active CADE enforcement and Latin American leader on access to medicines](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) - [South Africa](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/south-africa) [Co-proponent of the TRIPS waiver and advocate of pro-development IP reform](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/south-africa) - [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Anchor of EU competition policy and the Digital Markets Act framework](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) ## Resources News, lessons, and country profiles to prep for IX Conferencia Internacional de Derecho Económico: Transformaciones globales y desafíos del desarrollo sostenible. Recent reporting to ground your prep [West Bengal Voter Deletion Crisis 2026](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/west-bengal-voter-deletion-crisis-ahead-of-2026-assembly-elections) [West Bengal Voter Deletion Crisis](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/west-bengal-voter-deletion-crisis-27-million-affected-ahead-of-polls) [Delimitation Based on 2011 Census](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/delimitation-based-on-2011-census-indias-political-shift) [Supreme Court Upholds Election Commission Dis](https://modeldiplomat.com/story/supreme-court-keeps-election-commission-control-fight-alive) Lessons Bite-sized lessons to build the basics [Hidden Stakeholders](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/hidden-stakeholders) [Engagement Strategies](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/engagement-strategies) [Dynamic Analysis](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/dynamic-analysis) [Stakeholder Mapping Workshop](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/lessons/stakeholder-workshop) Courses Guided courses that go deeper on the topic [Advanced Negotiation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/advanced-negotiation) [Multilateral Negotiation](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/multilateral-negotiation) [Policy Brief Writing](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/policy-brief) [Conflict Resolution](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/courses/conflict-resolution) The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance [Ecuador](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ecuador) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ecuador) [United States](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/united-states) [China](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/china) [Russia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/russia) [Germany](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/germany) [Mexico](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/mexico) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/mexico) [Brazil](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/brazil) [Nigeria](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/nigeria) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/nigeria) [Colombia](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/colombia) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/colombia) [France](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/france) [Ireland](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ireland) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/ireland) [South Africa](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/south-africa) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/south-africa) [India](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) [Country dossier](https://modeldiplomat.com/country/india) ## Frequently asked questions - - - Free account Save conferences, research any topic with AI, build position papers, and keep your daily prep streak — free. 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