14th Cape Town Convention Conference
September 2 - September 3
14th Cape Town Convention Conference
2nd and 3rd September 2025
Invitation
This year’s conference will be held on Tuesday, 2nd and Wednesday, 3rd September 2025. It will be held in Cambridge as an in-person conference, but also with the opportunity to join virtually for anyone who is not able to attend in person. The conference will be held at Robinson College, University of Cambridge.
The conference will start with a keynote address on the interpretation of treaties, setting the overarching theme this year. As usual, the programme will include contributions from leading legal academics and other Cape Town Convention experts, and the sessions will include ample opportunity for questions and debate.
Topics to be discussed include discussions of CTC-specific aspects of implementation, such as the drafting and content of court rules, inclusion of non-judicial remedies and administrative procedures (specifically on de-registration, where applicable, and export). There will be consideration of the advantages and disadvantages of domestic registration entry points in the implementation of the Mining, Agriculture, and Construction (MAC) Protocol, informed by the Aircraft Protocol experience. There will also be more general sessions on treaty implementation and compliance in commercial law treaties, and on the effect of CTC implementation on domestic secured transactions and leasing law.
The conference will take place in the Crausaz Wordsworth Building, Robinson College, Adams Road, Cambridge CB3 9AN. There will be a conference dinner at Sidney Sussex College on the evening of the 2nd of September. Refreshments during the two days of the conference and the conference dinner are included in the conference fee of £350 for in-person attendance. There is a fee of £160 for online attendance.
Fees are waived for students, academics who cannot obtain funding from their institution and government officials. If you are eligible for a fee waiver, please use this code: CTAC2025. You will have to self-certify that you fall into the relevant category.
Booking is available here. If you have any questions about the booking system, please contact Mr Justin Crane (justin@thecraneevent.co.uk).
Launch event
A launch event for the Guide to Best Practices for Electronic Business Registries (which has been developed as part of the Cape Town Convention Academic Project) will be held on Monday, 1st September at 3 pm at Robinson College, Cambridge. The launch will consist of an explanation and discussion of the Guide, followed by a drinks reception.
If you would like to attend the launch event (free of charge), please tick the relevant box here.
International Conference in London on the benefits of the Rail and MAC Protocols to the Cape Town Convention
An international conference on the benefits of the Rail Protocol and MAC Protocol to the Cape Town Convention will be organised by UNIDROIT on Friday, 5th September, at the EBRD headquarters in London. The event will provide an opportunity for diplomatic representatives, government officials, private sector stakeholders, legal practitioners and academics to learn more about the operation of these Protocols and how they facilitate credit expansion and sustainable development.
If you would like to attend the International Conference on the benefits of the Rail Protocol and MAC Protocol to the Cape Town Convention in London (free of charge), please tick the relevant box here.
Accommodation
Ensuite bed and breakfast accommodation in Robinson College is available for the nights of the 1st, 2nd and/or 3rd of September. You can book your stay directly through this link. Please use the promotion code 51943 while making your booking. We advise booking your accommodation as early as possible due to limited availability.
A guest can also be invited to attend the Conference dinner on the 2nd of September at an additional cost of £80.
If you prefer to arrange your own accommodation elsewhere, you may find useful the enclosed list of hotels in Cambridge offering a variety of options.
We look forward to welcoming you to Cambridge (or online) for what promises to be yet another excellent and inspiring conference.
All updates regarding the conference, including the programme, will be shared on the event page. Please contact Ms Kateryna Bovsunovska (k.bovsunovska@unidroit.org) for any additional information.
Yours Sincerely,
Professor Louise Gullifer K.C. (hon) FBA
Professor Ignacio Tirado
Professor Jeffrey Wool
Conference Sponsors:
