Success of the seminar “ILO Fundamental Labour Rights in China: Legal Implementation and Cultural Logic”

The year got off to a great start for our Center with the success of the seminar “ILO Fundamental Labour Rights in China: Legal Implementation and Cultural Logic“. Participants traveled to Helsinki from around the world to discuss a wide spectrum of important challenges relating to fundamental labour rights and China. Insightful and engaging presentations were given by international scholars on a range of subjects, including the general legal structures and laws in which the implementation of international labour rights in China is occurring, gender questions in the implementation of labour standards, the implementation by China of labour rights through bilateral investment treaties and free trade agreements, and the ‘cultural logic’ behind all these questions.

The strength of the seminar was that the debate did not take place only between the speakers and the commentators. Rather, there was a genuine exchange of ideas amongst all participants, enabled by the experience and knowledge of all the scholars and practitioners who attended. Presenters included a top level representative of the ILO, distinguished Chinese labour lawyers, and labour law, comparative law and international law scholars from China, Europe and the US.

The research team of the project will share the results of the seminar with a wider audience through a publication. Work on this volume has started and we will keep you informed.

Prof. Teemu Ruskola, Special Adviser to the to the Director-General (ILO) Mr Kari Tapiola, Prof. Xie Zengyi, PhD Daniel Fuchs

Professor Xie Zengyi (CASS, Institute of Law)

Professor Alan C. Neal (University of Warwick)

Professor Ulla Liukkunen (University of Helsinki)

Professor Ronald C. Brown (University of Hawaii)

Professor Xue Ninglan (CASS, Institute of Law)

Professor Teemu Ruskola (Emory University)

A highlight of the conference was the formal launch, hosted by Dean of the Faculty of Law, University of Helsinki, Kimmo Nuotio, of the first publication to be released under an Academy of Finland-funded research project “ILO Core Labour Standards Implementation in China: Legal Architecture and Cultural Logic”. The book, “China and ILO Fundamental Principles and Rights in Work”, was edited by Professor Ulla Liukkunen and Assistant Professor Chen Yifeng (86 Bulletin of Comparative Labour Relations, general editor Roger Blanpain, Kluwer), and is based on the papers presented at the project’s international research seminar in January 2013.