Professor Alexander (Al) Gillespie - Main Speaker July 19 General Meeting

His Talk:

‘Navigating stormy seas: NZ in an increasingly challenging international world'.

Bio

Professor Gillespie is at the Te Piringa Faculty of Law, University of Waikato and specialises in international law related to war, the environment and civil liberties. 

He frequently takes public positions in the New Zealand media on global conflict, climate change, refugees and environmental issues. 

He has won international and New Zealand awards in recognition of his understanding of how international law impacts society and has published 19 books and over 40 academic articles.

Professor Gillespie has been the lawyer/expert on a number of international delegations and advised the New Zealand government on multiple matters of international concern. He was the first New Zealander to be named Rapporteur for the World Heritage Convention, involving international environmental diplomacy under the auspice of UNESCO. He has been engaged in policy formation for the United Nations, the Commonwealth Secretariat, and governmental, commercial and non-governmental organisations in New Zealand, Australia, United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Switzerland. He has also made a number of appearances before the Waitangi Tribunal and Select Committees of the New Zealand Parliament. In 2021 he was the joint winner of the Critic and Conscience of Society Award.