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Business programme
11 –13 May 2023
Sovereign Law in a Changing World
Business and Investment in the Face of Sanctions
Effective Law for an Effective State
Digitalization: The Law of the Future or the Future of the Law?
Justice and Dispute Resolution: New Realities and Horizons
Law and Society
Sovereign Law in a Changing World
Business and Investment in the Face of Sanctions
Effective Law for an Effective State
Digitalization: The Law of the Future or the Future of the Law?
Justice and Dispute Resolution: New Realities and Horizons
Law and Society
09:00
12.05.2023
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast New Challenges and Old Problems: Are Changes Needed to the Law on Advertising?
Congress Centre, conference hall B1
Digital technologies and information exchange are all developing at an intense rate, and the legal field is struggling to keep up. New advertising techniques and methods are emerging, as are ways of determining audiences. An enormous amount of data on consumer behaviour is collected online, including by advertisers. In its current form, the law is not always fully capable of regulating issues pertaining primarily to the digital realm. Some of the more conservative and cumbersome constructions are excessive when it comes to regulating online advertising. Another frequent issue is the lack of regulation for situations that arise when using electronic and online services, and advertising services and platforms. The problem is that it can be difficult to determine the liability of those involved in disseminating information online. Over the past few years, the courts and Federal Antimonopoly Service of Russia have worked to build a practice which has already become firmly embedded in legislative regulation. Approaches developed for individual disputes have served to create general rules. Do these rules need to be enshrined in law? Should the excessively detailed regulation of requirements concerning advertising content be simplified? How can greater flexibility be offered in terms of communicating obligatory information to the consumer? What can be done to more clearly outline the boundaries of responsibility, both in relation to advertisers and advertising distributers?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Foundations of the International Legal Order vs. the “Rules-Based Order”: The Future of International Law
Pavilion F, conference hall F2
Currently the system of international law is being seriously tested. The vast majority of international actors continue to adhere rigorously to the foundations of the international legal order, viewing them as the cornerstone of just, equitable, stable and predictable international relations. At the same time, a group of Western States persistently attempts to substitute them with an alternative concept of ‘Rules-Based Order’. The practice of settling international disputes through unilateral sanctions is one of its manifestations, as is the substitution of the principle of non-interference in the other States affairs with the concept of ‘responsibility to protect’. What are the implications of this situation for the future of international relations? What can be the basis for further States interaction?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Family Values at the Centre of Global Politics: The Right to Identity
Pavilion F, conference hall F21
Long-established moral and cultural norms, religious principles, the institution of marriage, and family values are increasingly coming under threat. This is happening in the context of changes taking place in the world today, which are putting traditional spiritual and moral values and stable moral guidelines in a precarious situation. In his address to the Federal Assembly, the President of the Russian Federation paid special attention to destructive external threats to the family institution, as well as to cultural and national identity. Traditional ideas about the family are being declared obsolete and contrary to human rights and freedoms. Meanwhile, repeatedly emphasized that concepts such as the family, motherhood, and childhood are essential to the preservation and development of Russia’s multinational society. This position is drawn from a traditional understanding of these concepts which has been passed down generations, and which will ensure continuity going forward. As a result, Russian legislation pertaining to the family is rooted in traditional ideas pertaining to the country’s national and confessional composition, its sociocultural structure, and other historical factors. Its legislative concepts also take into account the purpose of the family, including the raising of children. A strong family is the basis of a strong state. What international practice exists in relation to fostering family ties? What steps can be taken to create a system to protect families?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Sovereign Jurisdiction: The Challenge of the Current Realities
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
In the current environment, it has become essential to look at ways of making national jurisdiction more independent and freer from external factors and pressure. Possible changes to the borders of states’ jurisdictions is a matter of particular significance, as is the impact of national jurisdiction on business and the economy as a whole. What is sovereign jurisdiction, and what features should it have? What challenges to national jurisdiction pose the greatest danger to the economy, and how do they need to be addressed? What legal measures need to be taken to strengthen Russian jurisdiction?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Legal Aspects of Implementing PPP Projects
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
The PPP market is not only one of the main drivers of the economy today, it is also a key factor behind a nation’s growth and influence in the world. The unprecedented sanctions imposed on Russia failed, along with attempts to isolate the country. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the PPP sector. Not only did the number of far-reaching projects not decline (either in Russia or abroad), it actually increased. Thanks to public-private partnerships, infrastructure is being built, high-tech developments are being used, and international initiatives (encompassing several states and businesses operating across various jurisdictions) are under way. Supranational legal constructions which were previously the norm are now being employed less and less for the reasons outlined above. When structuring PPP projects, priority is given to sovereign national law. How does this work? What should regulators and legal experts do to ensure that PPP projects are implemented faster and more efficiently, and that the interests of all participants are best protected?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Antimonopoly Regulation in the Present Conditions: Challenges, Tasks and Development Prospects
Congress Centre, conference hall B4
A mixed market economy depends on a number of factors. These include competition, competitive market conditions, and efforts to prevent monopolies from taking shape. The structural shifts taking place throughout the world, the development of digital technologies, and the increased role played by innovations all have implications. These include the transformation of legal relations, the removal of geographical borders delineating commodity markets, and the destruction of established economic ties. In their place are emerging completely new markets of a global and multilateral nature. An evaluation of the changes which are under way, and of the economic situation in Russia and across the world reveals that timely steps need to be taken by the government in order to withstand such global challenges. What measures have been taken in recent years by antimonopoly bodies in order to address economic challenges and ensure fair competition across various sectors of the country's economy? What has been done in terms of improving antimonopoly legislation and minimizing red tape for businesses operating in markets of social importance? What issues are central to developing antimonopoly regulation in foreign jurisdictions, including in EAEU and BRICS member states? What should be done in relation to improving the content and application of competition law in the Eurasian Economic Union? What are the prospects and possible benefits of fostering multilateral partnerships between antimonopoly bodies based in these countries?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Regulating the Real Estate Market: State Guarantees for the Protection of Rights
Congress Centre, conference hall D1
The purchase of real estate is an important event in a person’s life, as well as the most popular and understandable form of investment. Protecting people’s property rights is a priority for the government. Legislation designed to keep people safe and protect their interests is being constantly improved. However, this process brings with it new challenges for government bodies and the business sector. It requires a degree of flexibility and the ability to react quickly. Ensuring that the Unified State Register of Real Estate contains complete and reliable information is key to ensuring the safe and unopposed ownership of real estate. A package of legislative initiatives will help in this regard. These will focus on preventing incursions on land boundaries, eliminating errors in the registry, registering rights to existing real estate, and developing a so-called forest amnesty. How can people and businesses protect their real estate rights? What new approaches in real estate transactions will help secure owners’ rights? How can professional real estate market participants maintain efficiency in the face of changes to legislation?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Building Legal Regulation for Rail Transport in the Eurasian Economic Union
Congress Centre, conference hall A
The Treaty on the Eurasian Economic Union that was signed in 2014 formally established a new stage in Eurasian integration. Intensifying interstate cooperation within the EAEU involves building transport routes, including rail, and creating equal conditions and opportunities for all parties in the transportation process. These changes often entail overcoming a number of obstacles on the domestic market of the EAEU member states. How can we identify the nature of the obstacles that arise under these circumstances? Who is responsible for taking the initiative to eliminate them: the state or business? Which body has the purview to decide this issue and what is the status of its decisions? Is there legal precedent? How can the potential of piggyback transportation be used to create the most favourable conditions for the movement of goods, and what measures are needed for this from government agencies and market participants? What tools should be used to expand the range of transport services provided?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast The Law and Gene Technologies: Drivers of Growth and Barriers to Progress
Pavilion F, conference hall F3
An important objective the solution of which is provided within various areas of state policy is to energize the improvement of genetic technologies and their practice application in Russia. Such technologies cover the social sphere by using the latest achievements of genetic science in medicine and pharmaceutics, economic development in agriculture and industry, as well as national biosafety in the Russian Federation. However, legal support for the development of genetic technologies requires conceptual refinement: biologists, geneticists, doctors and other practitioners in genomic research and the application of genetic technologies face a raft of legal problems, which cannot always be resolved within the scope of current legislation. What new regulatory solutions can be developed in this regard?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Reforming the General Provisions of Civil Law on Obligations and Contracts: The Experience of China and Russia
Congress Centre, conference hall B2
In recent years, reforms of civil law have been actively underway in China and Russia, resulting in the adoption of the 2020 Civil Code of the People’s Republic of China and the modernization of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation as part of the implementation of the Concept for the Development of Civil Legislation in Russia. It was in pursuance of this Concept that amendments were made in 2015 to the general provisions of the Russian Civil Code concerning obligations and contracts. The new provisions of Chinese and Russian contract law have been highly praised by the legal and business communities of both countries as intelligent and mature legal regulations that are well-adapted to the needs of commerce today and, in the context of strengthening economic ties between our countries, they have aroused the mutual, keen interest of Russian and Chinese civil law specialists and businesspeople. What potential is there for applying analogous provisions of the Chinese and Russian civil codes at present? What are the similarities and differences between approaches to the creation of contractual obligations? What are the similarities and differences between the regulation of general issues concerning the performance of obligations? Which problems arise as regards the inability to perform obligations in the context of the new challenges? What prospects are there for the use of methods of ensuring the performance of obligations in relations between business entities in Russia and China?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Legal Education: Problems and Opportunities
Pavilion F, conference hall F1
Legal education is key to the development of legal awareness and a legal culture. And the degree to which legal professionals are qualified has a direct bearing on virtually all areas of life, both in terms of society and the state. What’s more, legal education carries with it the mission of law to a degree. The legal system requires a constant influx of qualified, knowledgeable, and professional personnel. In turn, employers play an important role in evaluating the quality of legal education. The demand for and interest in personnel can be viewed as trust in a certain qualification. What are the main issues facing legal education? What can be done to gain a genuine understanding of the level of legal education in Russia? What potential does Russia’s legal education system have, and what needs to be done for it to develop further?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast This is not Goodbye: Lessons from the Departure of Foreign Law Firms from the Russian Market
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
The freedom that foreign law firms had in their operations in Russia led to the Russian economy’s unacceptable dependence on foreign law, foreign dispute resolution institutions, and Western consultants. The resulting political, legal, and economic risks fully materialized. The departure of foreign law firms from Russia was accompanied by the outflow of Russian personnel abroad and led to the offshorization of legal aid as it pertains to Russian law. The negative ramifications included the failure to comply with Russian regulatory requirements, the erosion of the Russian tax base, ‘jurisdictional losses’, and a violation of the principles of fair competition. At present, the situation (the politically motivated withdrawal of foreign law firms and the establishment of new Russian law firms based on the team members who are left) is conducive to reforms on the legal services market. This is also crucial in terms of avoiding any future negative scenarios that unfriendly countries have recently been pursuing. The tasks and principles of interaction with foreign consultants need to be reconsidered in a short time. The legal sector needs to be brought back from offshore jurisdictions and made sovereign to support the Russian economy, with the creation of an independent infrastructural basis. Among other things, it is crucial to ensure that new Russian law firms are actually independent from their former foreign owners and employers.
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Criminal Law Policy in an Era of Change: Challenges and How to Rise to Them
Congress Centre, conference hall B3
In terms of criminal law policy, Russia has made it a priority to improve criminal and criminal procedure legislation. In recent years, a number of amendments have been made. These have resulted in a reduction of criminal repression. However, it is hardly the case that an optimal and reasonable balance has been struck between the interests of the individual, society, and the state. It is therefore crucial to discuss further prospects for the development of criminal law policy in the current reality. What can be done in relation to criminal law to ensure that Russia’s national interests are better protected from socially dangerous actions and related threats? What steps should be taken to ensure the timely and justified criminalization and decriminalization of actions? In what way could public responsibility be further differentiated and individualized? What prospects and mechanisms exist for optimizing processes related to criminal procedure?
12.05.2023
09:30–11:00
09:30–11:00
Broadcast Russophobia: 21st Century Nazism
Congress Centre, Justice Quarter. Conference hall E12
Russophobia has become not only a means of inciting hatred and discrimination against those of our compatriots living abroad, but also the ideological basis for the collective West’s aggressive anti-Russian policy. The US has unleashed a new type of hybrid war aimed at weakening Russia in every way possible, including by undermining its formative civilizational role. In this context, unfriendly countries are using new, extra-legal and illegal leverage against Russia and our compatriots. One of the most obvious forms of Russophobia is the sanctions being used as illegal leverage against Russia, its citizens and organizations. With the help of quasi-judicial mechanisms, unjust decisions are increasingly being taken against Russian citizens in unfriendly countries, with intergovernmental organizations also being used to this end. A Russophobic war has been declared not only on the people of Russia but also on its monuments, with bans on its civilizational heritage sites and its universally recognized works of art and literature. The Foreign Policy Concept approved by the President of the Russian Federation uses the term “Russophobia” for the first time and speaks of the need to push back against the campaign of Russophobia that has been unleashed by unfriendly countries.
11:00
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Bankruptcy: Development from a Social Perspective
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
What issues concerning bankruptcy procedures for citizens are of particular importance today? What potential pathways to addressing them exist, particularly in terms of making bankruptcy – both in and out of court – more efficient? What conclusions can be drawn from analysing the practical issues that arise in the process? How should a balance best be struck between the rights of creditors and debtors in bankruptcy proceedings? What aspects relating to the development of bankruptcy show promise in line with current trends? Is a separate rehabilitation plan required in bankruptcy proceedings with regards to primary housing being used as collateral? What special factors come into play with regards joint bankruptcy of spouses? What can be gleaned from studying international experience?
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Assessing a Partner’s Level of Solvency
Congress Centre, conference hall B1
At some point or another, every business needs to examine the status of other players in the market. Companies need to know about possible risks prior to working with another business, choosing a debt settlement strategy, identifying signs of bankruptcy and developing a concept for effective rehabilitation procedures. Risk analysis is a two-way street, with those doing the evaluating being evaluated themselves. The quality of risk assessment not only has a direct bearing on signing contracts on the provision of goods or services, but also on receiving additional funding. However, without unified approaches to assessing a company, it becomes impossible to predict the outcome of a partnership. At the same time, insufficient information regarding quality is a risk in and of itself. This situation means that businesses have no flexibility when it comes to making quick decisions. And in the context of current sanctions, it is difficult to transform business processes quickly. If creditors have no way of genuinely knowing what their chances are of getting their money back, the simplest and most understandable option would appear to be the initiation of bankruptcy proceedings. And as many creditors know, once these have been initiated, the chances of recovering debts dwindles substantially. Meanwhile, the business sector is finding solutions in the creation of its own databases, scoring systems, and analytical tools. However, in order for these tools to stay relevant, reliable, and comprehensive, a unified methodology is required. What is the solution to these issues today?
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Property Tax: The Present and Future of Cadastral Valuation
Pavilion F, conference hall F1
The overarching revision of how property tax is administered is largely behind the recent increase in the fiscal burden experienced by SMEs. In Russia, most microbusinesses and small enterprises work under a special tax regime (the simplified tax regime being the most common). And this is precisely in order to clearly delineate fiscal obligations, whether that be a percentage of turnover (profit) or a specific, predetermined amount. However, since 2014, small businesses have often been additionally levied property tax based on the cadastral value. Entrepreneurs often have questions regarding conducting a cadastral valuation. The introduction of a new valuation methodology has further exacerbated matters.
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Digital Platforms: Identifying Where the Civil Code Ends and the Labour Code Begins
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
The current legal framework governing labour relations was inherited from a previous technological era. It is unsurprising then that the onset of the platform economy has shaken its very foundations. This new structure links new communication practices, new algorithm-based labour management technologies, and a new role and place for labour in modern life. This is a global challenge, and each country, each national economy, and each legal system is attempting to find its own way to respond to this challenge. These responses are likely to differ in line with specific national characteristics. Russia is no exception in this regard. More than 10 million people in the country are already part of the platform economy in one way or another. Of this figure, a quarter work in the production of goods and services. The freedom to choose what to produce and for whom, and what service to provide to whom at what price all form the basis of aggregator platforms. It is their driving force. And it falls within the scope of Russia’s Civil Code. However, this generally healthy process is sometimes infiltrated with criminal practices, whereby people are coerced to abandon their labour rights in favour of pseudo civil law contracts. What can be done to separate freedom of choice in self-employment from a fictitious form of freedom sometimes forced upon employees? Is the presumption of employer-employee relations a protective or harmful mechanism on the part of the state, and a hinderance in civil law relations? Is it acceptable that the tax authorities of some Russian regions now practice the compulsory re-classification of civil law relations to labour relations, without at least one of the parties having the right to appeal? What are such conflicts rooted in: law enforcement in a disputed area, or imperfect legislation? Who will protect the civil rights of self employed people in the same way the Labour Inspectorate is tasked with protecting the labour rights of employees?
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Recognition of the Genocide of the Soviet People: Legal Aspects
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
Based on an analysis of a wide array of historical facts, legal acts, and the legal positions of Russian and international researchers, the crimes committed against the peoples of the USSR during World War II in 1941–1945 are regarded as the genocide of the Soviet people, which resulted in the death of tens of millions of people. The fact that Russian courts have confirmed that the Nazi invaders and their accomplices committed war crimes as well as the investigation by the Russian Investigative Committee of criminal cases concerning these crimes should be viewed exclusively in the context of responsibility inevitably being established as one of the central principles of law based on the verdict of the International Military Tribunal in Nuremberg and the subsequent trials of Nazi criminals. At the same time, a number of facts and events related to war crimes concerning the plans and actions of Nazi Germany, its satellites, and their accomplices to exterminate the peoples of the USSR have not yet been given a proper legal assessment based on the Nuremberg principles, including by international legal institutions. The Western world is not ceasing its attempts to distort historical truths, reassess events, and revise the results of World War II, including the mass extermination of Soviet citizens.
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Dispute Resolution in Insurance
Congress Centre, conference hall B4
Many individuals have begun to experience difficulties in fulfilling their contractual obligations in the face of sanctions. Insurance payouts have therefore come to prominence in an environment where counterparties are seeking to recover their costs as far as possible. At the same time, sanctions have had a deleterious impact on settlement processes between participants along the insurance and reinsurance value chains. These factors have brought conflict to the insurance sector and given rise to numerous disputes. How should insurance payments be made in the current conditions? What can be done to mitigate the dishonest actions of insurers and their customers? What role do legal consultants, adjusters and other experts play in the settlement of losses? All interested insurance market participants will discuss these and other issues at the session.
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Activities of Professional Plaintiffs: Current State and Future Development
Congress Centre, conference hall B2
Lending is a key area. A range of special measures has been taken to ensure easy access to financial services. These measures include developing remote financial services, and simplifying procedures related to applying for and receiving loans. However, it also needs to be recognized that the overall level of consumer debt has risen. What’s more, there has been an increase in loan arrears. Financial institutions have the right to recover these overdue debts themselves as creditors. Alternatively, they may hire professional collection agencies for this purpose. Protecting the rights and legitimate interests of the public when conducting such activities is an undertaking carrying significant social implications, and it is essential to strike a balance between the rights and obligations of all parties involved. It is crucial to recognize that recovering people’s overdue debts is one of the most sensitive areas of the financial sector. What can be done to ensure that professional recovery agencies focus on mediation, so that problematic situations are resolved out of court? Should the scope of federal state control exercised by the Federal Bailiff Service of Russia be expanded? Should limits be set on amounts loaned to individuals? How important is it to consider a potential borrower’s financial situation and track their credit history when deciding whether to issue a loan?
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast International Arbitration and a Crisis of Trust
Congress Centre, conference hall B3
Gradually, courts in pro-Western states are closing their doors to Russian businesses, while foreign companies are often reluctant to resolve their disputes in Russia. These conditions create an environment in which arbitration can thrive. However, major arbitration institutions are often associated with unfriendly countries, causing them to lose credibility in the public eye. As a result, previous arbitration decisions are becoming increasingly irrelevant. Russian businesses must reinvent international arbitration for themselves. Which path did Iran follow, when faced similar challenges? What place will the investment arbitration occupy in the new system? What practical guidelines for drafting "anti-sanctions" clauses should be created?
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Visualizing Law: Integration and Trends in the Development of Law and Art
Congress Centre, conference hall A
Law is traditionally considered to exist in a textual world. Texts continue to dominate in judicial proceedings, regulatory documents, and legal opinions. However, over the centuries, law has also been reflected in works of art and literature. Today, new technology has led to an increase in visual tools being used in the legal system. Law visualization, legal design, and visual legal communication combine design tools with legal language. This session will examine how law and art interact in order to gain a better understanding of trends in the development of the two fields. What significance from a historical perspective does the reflection of law in works of art have? How and where are legal symbols and signs used? Could visualization be used to facilitate functions and tasks in the legal field?
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast The Right to Growth
Pavilion F, conference hall F3
The law acts as a mediator in the economy, and can either be a tool for growth, or a hinderance and cause of stagnation. Is there sufficient government support from a legal perspective and in other areas, given current domestic and foreign challenges?
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Lecture by Valery Zorkin, Chairman of the Constitutional Court of the Russian Federation
Congress Centre, conference hall D1
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Legal Aspects of Aviation: Tools to Regulate Transport Infrastructure and Aircraft Fleets while Counteracting Sanctions Restrictions
In partnership with Aeroflot
Pavilion F, conference hall F2
The Russian aviation industry is facing unprecedented sanctions from unfriendly states. Almost all foreign-made aircraft engaged in aviation operations faced the threat of all flights being terminated. Nevertheless, the unconventional decisions of the Russian authorities, combined with the high level of professionalism of aviation industry officials, made it possible to ensure the efficient operation of the foreign aircraft fleet by Russian airlines and prevent a critical drop in revenue, as well as a decrease in passenger traffic. What specific legal instruments were used to support the transport system and ensure the normal operation of the civil aviation fleet amidst unprecedented pressure from unfriendly states? Does the legal status of aircraft need to be amended in Russian law? Are new legal structures needed for the efficient operation of aircraft (wet leasing)? The optimal use of personnel is one of the main challenges for businesses in industries that are dependent on the changing seasons. Are there any ways to temporarily expand staffing at present? Which methods require more detailed regulation? How can fixed-term employment contracts be concluded with minimal risks for employers? How is the ability to temporarily use the personnel of another company regulated at the legislative level? What needs to be done to use outstaffing within a certain industry and/or group of companies?
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast AI Applications to Transform Oversight and Supervisory Activities in Agribusiness
Congress Centre, Justice Quarter. Conference hall E12
In 2022, Russia produced more than 5 million tonnes of poultry meat, 4.5 million tonnes of pork and 1.6 million tonnes of beef. In addition, almost 5 million tonnes of aquatic bioresources were produced, and milk production reached 32 million tonnes. The past year was also marked by a record grain harvest of more than 150 million tonnes. What’s more, 1.5 million tonnes of fish, 650,000 tonnes of meat, and 45.5 million tonnes of grain were exported. Each year, Russian products are bought by 130–160 countries worldwide. Given this, digitalization has become essential in a global market to support national biological security, guarantee the safety of primary produce and processed goods, and ensure that goods comply with requirements through oversight, supervision and licensing. Since 2006, 10 information systems have been developed and launched by the Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance (Rosselkhoznadzor). Thanks to these programs, supervision can occur without having to interact with businesses across all basic areas of the agricultural industry (animal husbandry, industrial processing, crop farming, veterinary medicine, and agrochemistry). Today, it has become possible to automate the identification of unscrupulous entrepreneurs and consumer fraud schemes through the use of neural networks. One AI model recognized by the OECD as an outstanding global innovation is capable of analysing 46 million documents per hour. This translates into a 90,000-fold increase in inspectors’ productivity. Digital supervision allows the state to quickly identify violations, and helps honest entrepreneurs work in a competitive environment and openly maintain their reputation. It is becoming clear that there needs to be a legislative definition of digital public administration. This should encompass supervision and oversight, and should enshrine the procedure for employing artificial intelligence when detecting violations. Is it possible for inspectors to make decisions based on information provided by AI models? What interaction tools in digital public administration should facilitate prompt action on incidents detected by systems that go beyond the purview of the agency that identified it? Is the government in a position to delegate procedural steps to neural networks?
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Investments Instead of Fines: How to Ensure Compliance with Mandatory Requirements
Pavilion F, conference hall F21
Russian legislation on state control (oversight) requires compliance with mandatory requirements while minimizing the administrative burden on controlled entities. As such, the main objective of state control (oversight) is not to hold a controlled entity accountable, but to prevent and eliminate violations of mandatory requirements. However, the current norms of the Russian Code of Administrative Offences do not preclude subjecting a controlled entity to administrative liability for violating mandatory requirements in the event said entity properly executes an order to eliminate any violations that are found. This can only serve as a circumstance that mitigates administrative responsibility. As evidenced by the practice of considering requests to extend deadlines for the execution of orders from the government, businesses often need long periods and significant investments to correct the violations. It takes a long time, for example, to supply and install advanced equipment or reorganize production chains. In this regard, it would make sense to develop a pattern of interaction between the state and business to ensure compliance with mandatory requirements, while maintaining the required level of socioeconomic development in a specific territory.
12.05.2023
11:30–13:00
11:30–13:00
Broadcast Public Meeting of Ministers of Justice
Congress Centre, Justice Quarter. Conference hall E11
13:00
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Current Trends in International Relations Relating to Energy Policy and Law
Pavilion F, conference hall F2
The process of transitioning from a unipolar world to a multipolar structure has led to increased unfair competition for markets of energy resources, technology, and sources of economic and financial wealth. The North Atlantic Alliance, including the NATO Bloc, is using economic, political, legal, and military means to return to the era of colonialism in the economic, legal, cultural, technological, digital, and energy sectors. This is reflected in the ideas of legal exclusivity, setting price limits on oil and gas sales, imposing illegal sanctions against Russia and other countries, expanding its jurisdiction over the actions and decisions of third countries, and disconnecting countries and populations from digital services. At the same time, in the current contentious environment, the notion of sovereignty – the ability to make autonomous decisions in areas such as economics, law, digital technology, and energy based on national interests – is regarded as a valuable means of resistance. As a result, it is imperative to seek out, cooperate with, and coordinate efforts with partners on a mutually beneficial and respectful basis. Russia is increasing interaction and cooperation, including energy cooperation, with countries in Central and South-East Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, on platforms such as G20, BRICS, SCO, within the Arctic World Club, and others. These conditions provide opportunities for the development of the domestic market, investment in the country's economy, and the improvement of legal instruments in various sectors of the economy, politics, and law.
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Special Legal Regulation in the Financial and Corporate Sectors under Sanctions Pressure
Congress Centre, conference hall D3
2022 was marked by a material change in the configuration of the financial and corporate sectors. The rapidly changing environment brought about by sanctions pressure, among other things, required an immediate response. Decrees issued by the President of the Russian Federation were the only means of ensuring adequate legal regulation in the rapidly changing environment, with the adaptability of their application supported by the decision-making mechanisms of the Government Commission on Monitoring Foreign Investment in the Russian Federation and the Bank of Russia’s ability to issue official clarifications and adopt regulatory decisions of the Bank’s Board of Directors. Will this “temporary” special legal regulation become “permanent”?
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast The Essence of Probation: Prerequisites for Achieving a Reduction in Recidivism
Congress Centre, conference hall B4
In February 2023, the Federal Law on Probation in the Russian Federation was signed, marking the first-ever establishment of a probation system. This system encompasses a range of measures applicable to convicts, individuals subject to other criminal-legal measures, as well as persons released from institutions where they had served sentences of compulsory work or imprisonment, and who may now find themselves in difficult life situations. The introduction, implementation, and attainment of socially significant outcomes relating to this probationary institution are crucial topics for discussion.
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast The Right to Historical Truth and the Fight Against Falsification of History
Congress Centre, conference hall D1
Falsification of history is an important tool of the West in the mental war unleashed against Russia. It is aimed at manipulating its citizens and undermining the unity of the peoples of Russia. The task of protecting historical memory and preserving traditional spiritual values must be implemented as part of a general strategy to ensure national security and defend the national and governmental interests of Russia on the world stage. As part of the discussion platform, it is planned to address the underlying values of Russian sovereign historical policy (politics of memory), the forms and legal mechanisms of protecting the historical truth, and ways of counteracting the falsification of history.
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Forensic Science in the Service of the Law
Congress Centre, conference hall B2
Today, it has become essential to foster a constructive dialogue on modern practices in the development and implementation of new areas of forensic research, and the training of forensic experts. What is the current state of the sector? What potential exists to introduce new aspects of forensic research in line with the needs of the legal process? What harmonization-related issues exist in the development of new areas of forensic research at public forensic institutions and educational organizations?
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Justice in the 21st Century
Congress Centre, conference hall A
Justice is the central element of any legal system. It is a highly sophisticated mechanism, and the way justice is administered, on what basis, for what values, for what aims, and to what ends all have a direct bearing on public trust in the legal system and the state as a whole. Traditionally, changes in substantive law were not always accompanied by the transformation of procedural institutions. Legal doctrine and practice both proceeded from the belief that a universal procedural form can be applied to almost any substantive legal issue. Is that the case now? Can – and should – we keep observing the principles of legal proceedings at any cost, considering that we are in the midst of an era of global uncertainty, rampant growth, increasingly complex legal conflicts, and the development of new digital technologies? Has the very nature of justice changed in the 21st century? By posing these questions in relation to civil, criminal, arbitration, constitutional and even international processes today, it becomes possible to conceptualize the status quo and make predictions about the further development of justice.
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Russian Legislation: Projections, Prospects, Programmes (to mark the 100th Anniversary of the Institute of Legislation and Comparative Law under the Government of the Russian Federation)
Congress Centre, conference hall D4
New dynamics are continuing to emerge in Russian legislation. These include increasing sovereignty, weakening the influence of international and supranational regulators, combining modernization with constitutionalization processes, and adapting to extraordinary conditions. Under these circumstances, it is increasingly important to take into account advances in jurisprudence and other sciences when designing and predicting future legislative developments. The conceptualization of further legislative modernization has become an important and integral part of the current process of legislative enactment and reform. It is therefore not only legitimate to question the institutionalization of scientific law-making consultancy, but also to seek answers to the following questions: What predictions of legislative trends are instrumental and credible? What are the parameters of the relationship between the universal and the national in domestic law that are sufficient to meet the challenges of the times? Should we expect the role of "flexible regulators" to increase? Should mechanisms and practices for implementing court decisions into law be strengthened? What are the prospects for the systematization and "mechanization" of legislation? What are the prospects for legislative consultancy?
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Contemporary Issues in Protecting the Professional Rights of Lawyers
Congress Centre, conference hall B1
The Russian Bar acts as a reliable guarantor of citizens’ constitutional right to receive qualified legal assistance. The legislation on advocacy, the Bar and the international commitments of the Russian Federation provide lawyers with a sufficiently high level of safeguards in carrying out their professional activities. It also provides lawyers with a certain amount of rights and obligations as a result of their legal professional status. Legislation also provides lawyers with a set of rights and duties arising from their procedural roles. At the same time, law enforcement practice shows that, unfortunately, lawyers' professional rights are violated on a regular basis. Consequently, there is a need to improve and defend the legal institution of lawyers’ professional rights. Do lawyers need protection of their professional rights? How have violations of lawyers’ professional rights evolved? Who most often infringes on the professional rights of lawyers? How can lawyers defend their professional rights? Are lawyers’ professional rights subject to judicial protection? How should a lawyer defend himself/herself if a trustee in insolvency demands his/her fees in court? Is it ethical for a lawyer to go to court to recover his or her fees? Can a court exclude a lawyer from taking part in a client’s case? Is it permissible for private practitioners to provide services while positioning themselves as representatives of a solicitors’ corporation? How can a corporation prosecute “legal poachers”?
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Current Trends in the Development of Corporate Legal Management
Congress Centre, conference hall B3
The changing economic and political climate brings new challenges to managers tasked with leading their company's legal function. The key factor in this context is the shift of legal services from a reactive to a preventive management approach, premised on a partnership role concerning both internal and external clients. During the session, we will discuss various issues pertaining to a company's legal service, including how a legal head can become a business partner, the strategic nature of a legal head, methods and tools for fostering client-oriented legal staff, and whether the legal service should be an earning unit. Specifics surrounding the KPIs of the legal service and how to ensure effective interaction between the legal function and internal and external clients will also be covered?
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast The Impact of Information Technology on the Development of Corporate Relations: Bringing Decentralized Autonomous Organizations under Russian Jurisdiction
Pavilion F, conference hall F1
Digitalization is already a major driver of social and economic development. Representatives of the legal community, business and state agencies will discuss how business is harnessing digital innovation. Can businesses fully digitize their business processes so that they can resolve corporate issues and challenges and work with government agencies and contractors online? What is required for businesses to evolve into so-called decentralized autonomous organizations? How will the legal status of such businesses change: a new organizational form, a simple partnership or a method of corporate governance? What legal and technological framework should be created to ensure that business can operate smoothly in this new environment?
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Cross-Border Foreclosures and Bankruptcies
Pavilion F, conference hall F3
Issues surrounding transnational payment recovery – and transnational bankruptcy in particular –invariably involve various legal orders interacting with each other. It also encompasses work by legal specialists based in different jurisdictions. This is not always an easy task in and of itself, and now the new international legal reality arising from the war of sanctions has only complicated this process further. Numerous experts have identified a growing trend for jurisdictional fragmentation. When considering lawsuits, the claim is often made that it is impossible to ensure justice or fair consideration of disputes in a court or arbitration process as originally set out by the parties to a contract. What’s more, procedures to recognize and enforce foreign judgments and arbitral decisions (already a complicated process from a legal and formal point of view) have become much more difficult. What new challenges have emerged, and what approaches can be taken to address them?
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Russia–India: Legal Challenges for Business in an Era of Booming Bilateral Trade and Investment
Congress Centre, conference hall D2
Russia's “Pivot to the East" has provided an additional impetus to generate new economic ties between countries that have historically focused on working with classical financial centres, at a time when they are losing their credibility and reputation as trustworthy partners. Alongside its legal system, which is based on that of the UK, India has many national features which, when coupled with the overall exoticism of the country, create a complex backdrop for doing business. The pace of economic convergence between the two countries is at an all-time high. Last year Russia became India's largest supplier of crude oil. In 2023, the two countries switched from dollars to local currencies in trade transactions. Numerous Russian IT companies (VisonLabs, Geoscan, Quantum Communications, Scout, etc.) have entered the Indian market. Trial shipments of the new strategically important North-South ITC logistics route are underway. In other words, Russian business is actively entering the Indian market, which means that there is an immediate need for a comprehensive understanding of the Indian legal landscape, especially in the context of protecting the interests of companies. The situation is similar for Indian companies supplying goods to Russia through parallel imports under the legalized product list, as well as for domestic pharmaceutical companies that have a strong chance of taking over vacant market niches for medicines and medical devices. How can favourable access for business to the countries' markets be organized? How should information channels for doing business in India and Russia be centralized? How can regulatory and administrative barriers to business be effectively harmonized?
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Control Legislation as a Driver of Economic Growth
Congress Centre, Justice Quarter. Conference hall E12
A new law on state control was adopted in 2020, and a companion law to it was passed in 2021. More than 200 resolutions of the Russian government, 400 decrees of the federal authorities, 2,500 acts at the regional level, and 25,000 municipal acts have been adopted to implement the laws. One could argue that Russia has created a progressive practice of regulation in areas of risk-based approach, working with business by preventing violations, and working with data in monitoring activities, which is more advanced than the vast majority of countries around the world. How should legislation on control evolve in the near future to implement the next phase of control reform? Which provisions require specific adjustments, and which ones need to be systematically revised?
12.05.2023
13:30–15:00
13:30–15:00
Broadcast Digital Tagging as an Effective Tool in the Protection of Consumer Rights
Pavilion F, conference hall F21
In Russia, the government has created the Honest Sign labelling system, which aims to ensure the legal circulation of goods, protect consumer rights, and prevent actions that mislead them. The labelling system helps to not only ensure effective state control (oversight), but also public control with the Honest Sign mobile application, which is used by more than 10 million consumers today. Consumers can send information about violations they find directly to the Honest Sign system, and the control (oversight) body, as represented by the Federal Service for Surveillance on Consumer Rights Protection and Human Wellbeing, can see these ‘signals’ in the personal accounts of its employees and, using various forms of control (oversight), including without interacting with the controlled entities, take response measures envisaged by law to prevent the risk of harm to consumers. In addition, the control (oversight) bodies have the ability to remotely record other violations committed by parties involved in the circulation of goods (violation of established prices, the sale of goods with unregistered labelling codes, the improper status of participants, the circulation of goods with an expired shelf life, etc.), and to focus on working with unscrupulous market participants. What results have already been achieved with labelling? What risk-based approach tools are being used based on the functional capabilities of the labelling system? How is public control developing to protect consumer rights? How can conscientious businessmen help reduce the circulation of illegal products in order to protect consumer rights? How is the labelling system being used to improve business processes in the interests of consumers, including to preclude the technical possibility of products being sold that are illegally introduced into circulation or have an expired shelf life?
14:00
12.05.2023
14:00–15:00
14:00–15:00
Broadcast Book presentation: Crystal Growth. On the Russian Economic Miracle by Aleksandr Galushka
Congress Centre, Justice Quarter. Conference hall E11
15:00
12.05.2023
15:30–17:30
15:30–17:30
Broadcast Sovereignty in Law
Пленарное заседание
Congress Centre, Congress Hall