Immunities of international organisations

Grotius Chambers on the immunities of international organisations: the US Supreme Court in Jam vs IFC.

Grotius Chambers hosted a panel discussion on the US Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Jam vs IFC (No. 17–1011 of 27 February 2019). In its decision, the court rejected the argument that the IFC enjoyed absolute immunity in the US. We asked what this may mean for international organisations more broadly, including in the Netherlands.

The panel comprisesd:

• Dr Rishi Gulati, Fellow at the London School of Economics and Barrister, Victoria, Australia.
• Dr Guido de Dekker, Attorney practising at the Supreme Court of The Netherlands, BarentsKrans NV, Den Haag.
• Oliver Lorenz, Gesellschaft fur Internationale Zusammenarbeit (formerly with the WorldBank/IFC), Bonn, Germany.

Ms Marine Veissiere, Partner at Grotius Chambers, moderated the panel.

The discussion was wide ranging and covered different perspectives. Speakers addressed issues including the scope of international institutional immunities following the decision in Jam vs IFC in the United States; how Jam vs IFC may impact the international law understanding of institutional immunities; what steps international organisations may need take to limit exposure to domestic proceedings; and crucially, what implications does Jam vs IFC (if any) have for enhancing access to justice for the victims of international institutional conduct.