On 8-9 June 2017, the European-Asian Legal Congress was held for the eleventh time in Yekaterinburg. The international forum brought together more than 1,000 participants from 25 countries. Representatives of Russian federal and regional authorities as well as leading experts from BRICS, EAEU, WTO and Unidroit countries, experts from Germany, UK, France, Italy, Austria, Lithuania, Israel, China, India, the United Republic of Tanzania, Uruguay, South Africa, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and other countries participated in the discussion of legal issues at the Congress platform.

The Congress was organised and coordinated by the Association of Lawyers of Russia and the Ural State Law University (USLU), which established the Congress in 2007. The International Forum was supported by the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of the Russian Federation in the Urals Federal District, the Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region and the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk Region.

Russian and foreign participants of the Euro-Asian Law Congress (EALC), in accordance with the theme of the Congress: "Development of the Global Rule of Law: Institutions and Mechanisms" discussed pressing issues of global rule of law formation in contemporary conditions. The experts also heard reports on the impact of global problems on the development of the global rule of law.

At the opening of the Congress, Presidential Adviser V.F. Yakovlev welcomed the participants:
" ...here every year such a unique platform for international cooperation is created, where we can discuss serious problems of law, learn from our foreign colleagues and contribute to the development of international relations. The session will allow to concretise problems and help draw up common constructive proposals to solve them". On behalf of the Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region, the guests were welcomed by V.R.Dubichev, First Deputy Head of the Administration of the Head of the Region. L.V. Babushkina, Chairman of the Legislative Assembly of the Sverdlovsk region, in her address to the EALC guests emphasised that "development of the world economy faces significant challenges, among which are significant gaps and disproportions in social and economic development of countries and regions, growth of international terrorism and uncontrolled migration". In his welcoming address, V.D. Perevalov, Head of the Executive Committee of the Euro-Asian Law Congress, also drew attention to the growing problems of a global nature on a global scale.

The opening plenary of the EALC was attended by foreign guests Prashant Kumar (Republic of India), who reported on the outcomes of the 3rd BRICS Law Forum and passed the baton to the 4th BRICS Legal Forum to be held in Russia in 2017 and Romero Tavares of the Federative Republic of Brazil, who highlighted in his speech the role of BRICS and developing countries in shaping the new legal order.

The EALC plenary session included the presentation of the Sergei Sergeyevich Alekseev Award for Merit in Law, established by the Association of Lawyers of Russia.
This year the fourth laureate of the prize named after the outstanding Russian lawyer was S.S. Alekseev's pupil - the President of the Ural State Law University, Professor, Honoured Lawyer of the Russian Federation Victor Perevalov.

Thus the merits and significant contribution of V.D. Perevalov to the formation of the rule of law, strengthening of law and order, protection of the rights and legitimate interests of citizens, development of legal education and upbringing were recognised. "This is a great honour for me. Sergei Alekseev is my teacher. An example of dedication and service to legal science, an unrivalled teacher", said the Laureate.

The eleventh session of the EALC took place in the format of expert panels and roundtables. The session participants discussed the criteria for establishing the global rule of law and its role in the development of international organisations on a planetary and regional scale, primarily the UN and international organisations operating under the auspices of the UN. Discussions also took place on how to improve international and national legislation and how to address the impact of global problems on the establishment of the global rule of law.

The EALC hosted a press conference, held by the Interfax-Ural news agency, on "The Euro- Asian Legal Congress: international experts' positions on addressing terrorism, hacker attacks and illegal migration". The press conference was attended by V.D. Perevalov, V.F. Yakovlev, V.V. Blazheev, Professor at the University of Dar es Salaam, Ammon Vincent Mbelle, Tanzanian representative to the UN Commission on Trade and Development, Addy Matz, head of the Master's programme at the University of the Republic, and Singh Kishore, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Education.

The EALC hosted meetings of the Organizing Committee for the 4th BRICS Legal Forum to discuss issues related to the organisation of the Forum, which will be held in Moscow, Russia, for the first time in 2017. The aim of the Forum is to establish closer cooperation between the legal communities and to promote communication and cooperation among the authorities, practitioners and entrepreneurs of the BRICS countries.

The 11th session was attended by a delegation of the Association of Lawyers of Russia, including V.F. Yakovlev, Advisor to the Russian President, V.V. Blazheev, Rector of the Kutafin Moscow State Law University (MSAL). Mr. Sergey Alexandrov, Executive Director, Head of the Office, Member of the Board of the RAL, Mr. Dmitry Panshin, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the RAL, and others.


A round table on Regional Branches of the Association of Lawyers of Russia as a Basis for Professionalisation of the Legal Community was held with the participation of members of the Bar Association at the EALC. The roundtable discussed: the forms of participation of regional branches of the Association of Lawyers of Russia in the discharge of state functions; specifics of the legal status of the regional branches of the Association of Lawyers of Russia; and trends and problems in harmonizing the functioning of the regional branches of the Association of Lawyers of Russia.

A regular meeting of the Youth Section of the Euro-Asian Law Congress was held as part of the EALC, this year - with the support of the Commission on Educational Quality of the Ministry of Education and Science's Youth Affairs Council; the All-Russian Public Organisation "For Quality Education" of the All-Russian Public Movement "Volunteers of Victory"; the Sverdlovsk Regional Public Organisation "Association of Students of Sverdlovsk Region".

On the second day, the results of the work of the expert groups over the previous period were summarised. At the end of the Congress it was possible to develop solutions that can be seen as a basis for the normative standards applied in the BRICS countries. Participants of the Congress did not rest on their laurels but were determined to continue moving towards a more thorough elaboration of mechanisms for the development of the global rule of law.

The Third Meeting of the Coordination Council of the BRICS Law Institute will be held within the framework of the Eleventh Session of the Congress. As a result, the Second BRICS Law Experts Declaration is expected to be signed, as well as agreements on cooperation between leading academic centres in Europe, Asia and Latin America.