Update

The U.S. China Law Society and Sichuan University, a preeminent institution of higher education in Western China, joined hands to organizing this international conference. This conference was also a part of the celebration of Sichuan University’s 110 th Anniversary. Download Conference Notes (PDF)

Call for Papers

We cordially invite you, members and friends of U.S. China Law Society, to submit a paper to the annual conference of the U.S. China Law Society this year, entitled “New Challenges for the Rule of Law in China,” to be held at Chengdu, Sichuan Province, China from March 24 - 25, 2007.

The U.S. China Law Society, a U.S.-based nonprofit professional organization that studies and promotes legal reform and the rule of law in China, and Sichuan University, a preeminent institution of higher education in Western China, have joined hands in organizing this international conference. This conference will also be part of the celebration of Sichuan University’s 110 th Anniversary.

The Conference will focus on two major issues: the protection of farmers’ rights and the resolution of social disputes. In the past decade, China’s rapid economic growth has been accompanied by a widening urban-rural divide. Peasants and migrant workers – mostly farmers seeking work in urban areas – have become the most vulnerable social groups, often falling victim to discrimination, deprivation and exploitation. The forceful taking of peasants’ land without just compensation and fair procedures, the gross under-provision of healthcare, education, infrastructure and other public goods in rural areas, and the widespread discrimination against peasants and migrant workers all directly contribute to the new social tension and conflicts. The nation’s aspiration to build a more prosperous and equal society will be frustrated without the implementation of systemic reforms that address the vast inequities between the urban and rural sectors. In addition, in light of the significant increase in the number of social unrests and disputes, it is important to have a dispute resolution system that could resolve social tensions and bring about peaceful and equitable settlements within a legal framework. We believe the better protection of peasants’ and migrant workers’ rights and a more effective social dispute resolution mechanism are two of the most needed reforms China must implement at this critical juncture of its development.

To address these challenges, the conference will convene five panels to discuss the following topics: the protection of peasants’ social rights, with an emphasis on the reform of public health, public education and social security system in the rural area; the protection of peasants’ economic rights, with a focus on the protection of property rights; the protection of migrant workers’ rights, such as their employment right, their children’s right to education and other rights that accompany a full citizenship; alternative dispute resolution; and resolution of disputes through court.

You are invited to submit a short paper (15-20 pages in length single space) on one of the topics described above, with an abstract not to exceed 400 words. Papers could be in either English or Chinese, and should be submitted via email to conference06@uschinalawsociety.org. The paper should be unpublished original work of the author(s). Although the conference will be open to all the members of the U.S. China Law Society, if selected, you will be invited to be a discussant at the conference and the organizers will cover your room and board during the two-day conference period in Chengdu. If selected, your paper will also be included in a yearbook, to be published in China.