NATO at 75 and the Importance of Alliances in U.S. Foreign Policy: A Lawyer's View
October 8, 2024
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
University of Pittsburgh School of Law / Teplitz Memorial Courtroom (ground floor)
Please register for in-person or virtual attendance using the link above.
The link to connect virtually is: https://youtube.com/live/bG2Yj2pJHB8?feature=share
In the aftermath of World War II, delegates from twelve countries gathered in the Mellon Auditorium of the U.S. State Department to sign the treaty creating the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. On that historic occasion, President Harry S. Truman said: “For us, war is not inevitable. We do not believe that there are blind tides of history which sweep men one way or another. . . . Men with courage and vision can still determine their own destiny. They can choose slavery or freedom, war or peace. . . . The treaty we are signing today is evidence of the path they will follow. If there is anything certain today, if there is anything inevitable in the future, it is the will of the people of the world for freedom and peace.”
When delegates gathered in that same auditorium to mark NATO’s 75th anniversary this past July, the Alliance had grown from twelve founding members to 32 member-countries. The role played by NATO members in supporting Ukraine’s resistance to Russia’s invasion also had elevated the visibility of the Alliance dramatically. In describing current circumstances, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg declared, “The time to stand for freedom and democracy is now; the place is Ukraine.” Still, there are skeptics, not only of international support for Ukraine, but of NATO and alliances more generally.
Joining us to share his well-informed perspectives, primarily from the standpoint of allied legal advisors, on the place of NATO and of alliances more generally in U.S. foreign policy is Jeffrey Kovar, who is the Assistant Legal Adviser for Political-Military Affairs at the United States Department of State. After his initial presentation, Mr. Kovar will be joined in conversation by Prof. Ronald Brand, Founding Director of the Center for International Legal Education of the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Jeffrey Kovar is the Assistant Legal Adviser for Political-Military Affairs at the United States Department of State. His office advises on matters involving international humanitarian law, the use of force, counter-terrorism, cyber operations, military cooperation and basing agreements, sensitive intelligence operations, and arms export controls. During his career, Mr. Kovar has also specialized in a variety of other private and public international law areas, including human rights and refugees, environmental protection, outer space, Antarctica, investment claims and disputes, judicial cooperation, family law, and commercial law. The views he expresses are his own and not necessarily those of the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. government.
Ronald Brand was the founding director of Pitt Law’s Center for International Legal Education, its Master of Laws Program for Foreign Law Graduates, and its Doctor of Juridical Science program. He has taught in many countries around the globe, and his scholarship, including more than twenty books, is regularly cited throughout the world. Prof. Brand has represented the United States at Experts’ Groups, Working Groups, Special Commissions and Diplomatic Sessions of the Hague Conference on Private International Law that produced both the 2005 Convention on Choice of Court Agreements and the 2019 Convention on the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments in Civil or Commercial Matters, and he continues to work on future conventions at the Hague Conference. Within Pitt, Professor Brand has received both the Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award and the Chancellor's Distinguished Public Service Award, and he holds the Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg University Professorship.
Mark Nordenberg, Chancellor Emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh, will provide welcome and closing remarks.
Except for those seeking continuing legal education credit,
there is no charge for this program, which also will be live-streamed,
but registration is required.
Students seeking OCC credit who attend the program VIRTUALLY must reach out to kac15@pitt.edu within 48 hours following the event to request the QR code to receive OCC credit.
This program is presented by:
Dick Thornburgh Forum for Law & Public Policy
Institute of Politics
Center for International Legal Education
Co-sponsored by:
Pitt Law, Pitt Cyber, David C. Frederick Honors
The Dick Thornburgh Forum is grateful to the Richard King Mellon Foundation for its generous support of the Forum’s governance programs.