This is the topic of a conference that will take place in El Salvador next November the 21st and 22nd, which is organized by the antitrust authority (Competition Superintendence). The event features two of the most influential academics on the topic: Prof. Eleanor Fox of NYU and Prof. Michal Gal of the University of Haifa. Other speakers include competition authority officials from South Africa, Kenya, Brazil, and the US; and researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition in Munich.
As we have tried to report in this blog, many developing countries do not follow a conventional approach to the application of antitrust law. A part of the reason behind this is that the authorities share a feeling that their countries have pressing needs that are different from those in the economies in which competition law originated or where it has a longer track record. My home country shares now the same concerns—for which I sadly can’t take any credit—and is organizing the mentioned event in order to 1) obtain inputs on what adjustments it could make to its policy in order to have a greater impact on economic and social development; and 2) disseminate the ideas of researchers that have worked on topics regarding this general theme.
Given 1), the conference will also include roundtables in which practitioners, academics, and staff of various authorities will participate to refine the policy proposals that can come from the research discussed in the conference.
If you are interested in attending, here is the registration form. The audience so far includes attendants from many corners of the world. I will leave you with the event’s lineup.
| Speaker | Topic |
| Eleanor Fox | Drafting Competition Law in Developing Countries: What Have We Learned (via Skype) |
| Michal S. Gal | General Characteristics of Developing Economies and their Implications for Competition Law (via Skype) |
| Mor Bakhoum | The Impact of Informal Economy on Competition Dynamics in Developing Countries” |
| Francisco Beneke | Entry Analysis and Competition Law in Latin America: Why does Economic Development Matter? |
| Russel Pittman | Competition Policy for Regulated Industries in Developing Countries |
| João Paulo de Resende | Adapting Competition Law to Brazilian Context and its Contribution to BRICS Discussions |
| Liberty Mncube | Beyond Economic Goals in the Application of Competition Law: South Africa’s Experience” |
| Raphael Mburu | Enforcement of Competition Law in Kenya: A Contrasting Approach |
Developing World Antitrust 