At 3 PM on September 26, 2024, the " International Law into the Campus " event hosted by the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao Special Administrative Region and organized by the Faculty of Law of Macau University of Science and Technology was held in the R104 Conference Hall, Block R, at the Macau University of Science and Technology. This event was honored to welcome Deputy Director-General Qi Dahai and Director Yang Fan from the Department of Treaty and Law of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China as distinguished guests. They delivered speeches on the topics of "The Development History and Frontier Issues of International Climate Change Law" and “New Developments in International Health Law”, respectively.
Deputy Director-General Qi Dahai delivered a keynote speech on “The Development History and Frontier Issues of International Climate Change Law.”
Director Yang Fan presented a special discussion on "New Developments in International Health Law."
Counsellor Guo Xiaofeng, Director of the General Affairs Department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macau; Wang Wen, Third Secretary of the General Affairs Department of the Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Macau; Professor Yi Zaicheng, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Law at Macau University of Science and Technology; Professor Wang Chao, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Macau; Assistant Professors Zhu Feng and Wong Weng Kuok from the Faculty of Law at Macau University of Science and Technology; as well as representatives from the Legal Affairs Bureau, Health Bureau, Marine and Water Bureau, Environmental Protection Bureau, and Meteorological and Geophysics Bureau of the Macao SAR Government; and over 80 teachers and students from the Faculty of Law at Macau University of Science and Technology, the Faculty of Law at the University of Macau, and the School of Law at the City University of Macau attended the event.
Group photo at the location
During the event, Deputy Director-General Qi Dahai reviewed the key milestones of the multilateral negotiations on climate change and the associated treaties. He emphasized that, in the face of increasingly severe climate change, countries should implement these treaties pragmatically, do their utmost, and consider how to act and collaborate to tackle this global challenge. Deputy Director Qi also discussed the advisory opinion case from the International Court of Justice concerning climate change, highlighting that the resolution from the 2023 United Nations General Assembly requested the Court to provide an advisory opinion on the international obligations of states related to climate change. This marks a growing recognition of the legal dimensions of climate change. Subsequently, Director Yang Fan shared insights on the current status and recent developments in international health law, addressing the numerous challenges faced by international health law and public health governance in recent years, as well as the latest advancements in the negotiation of relevant international treaties.
During the question-and-answer session, on-site guests, teachers, and students engaged actively in discussions about how Macao can integrate into the country's overall development, particularly in the areas of international climate change and public health. They collectively expressed their eagerness to apply their knowledge of international law in practice to contribute to a sustainable future. The professional insights provided by Deputy Director Qi Dahai and Director Yang Fan not only deepened the understanding of international law among educators and students at universities in the Macao SAR but also offered new perspectives for advancing the development of international law disciplines and fostering regional cooperation. The event concluded successfully in a warm and inviting atmosphere.
