The World Trade Institute’s first-ever Doctoral Programme Conference, held on 8 November, took as its theme the concept of the “State” in the controversial area of investor-State arbitration. What is the role of the State in this context and what are its rights and responsibilities? These were questions grappled with by top-ranking international speakers, researchers and practitioners, at the one-day event sponsored by the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO).

The event was organised jointly by Doctoral Programme Director Shaheeza Lalani and Doctoral Fellow Rodrigo Polanco alongside Stephen Gelb, director of the International Investment Initiative (I3) – WTI’s programme on the economics, law and regulation of cross-border direct investment.

WilmerHale Senior Associate Danielle Morris was a featured speaker at this event. She spoke on the topic, "The Regulatory State and the Duty of Consistency."