An international conference titled “Changing Dynamics: How Can We Ensure the Balance and Effectiveness of International Oversight Mechanisms?” was organized by the Faculty of Public Governance and International Studies (FPGIS) of Ludovika University of Public Service (LUPS) in cooperation with the Research Workshop on International Organizations operating within the faculty, on November 17, in the Zrínyi Hall of the Ludovika Main Building.
The changes experienced in international cooperation in recent years are breathtaking — highlighted Réka Varga, Dean of LUPS FPGIS, in her opening remarks. She added that the essence of public service lies in attention and service, therefore ensuring that a system truly serves people is much more important than control.
“When I tell my students how an embassy or a consulate operated thirty years ago, they simply cannot believe it,” began his lecture André Erdős, former ambassador and Vice President of the Hungarian United Nations Association. Agreeing with the Dean, he added that the scale of the changes has been astonishing, making it essential to try to understand developments as thoroughly as possible.
Under the title “The Future of Multilateralism and State Autonomy: Regional Perspectives,” a discussion was held moderated by Dean Réka Varga, with Rahmat Mohamad, Professor of International Law at Universiti Teknologi MARA in Kuala Lumpur and former Secretary-General of the Asian-African Legal Consultative Organization (AALCO); István Stumpf, Ministerial Commissioner, Professor at Széchenyi István University and former member of the Constitutional Court of Hungary; as well as Pier Paolo Pigozzi, Vice-Rector for International Affairs at LUPS.
In the second panel of the international conference, titled “The Interaction Between Courts and Political Mechanisms: How Judicial Assessments Shape Political Decisions,” a discussion took place moderated by Endre Orbán, Associate Professor at LUPS FPGIS, with Carlos Bernal, Professor at the University of Dayton and former member of the Constitutional Court of Colombia; Judit Gyarmathy, Judge and Secretary-General of the Curia of Hungary; and Krisztián Kecsmár, Judge at the General Court of the European Union.
As the closing session of the conference, under the title “International Legal Oversight Mechanisms, the Market Sector and Private Companies,” a discussion was held moderated by Csaba Zalai, Professor of Public Service at LUPS FGIS, with Matthew Boyse, Adjunct Faculty member at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies and George Washington University; László Balogh, former OECD ambassador and former Deputy State Secretary; as well as Gábor Szűcs, Executive Director for International Relations at the Central Bank of Hungary.
More details about the event can be read in the article on the university’s scientific portal at ludovika.hu.
Text: Tibor Sarnyai
Photo: Dénes Szilágyi