The Society is looking for a new Secretary, as the current Secretary will step down at the next Annual General Meeting, which will take place on Friday 1 November.

For more information, please see the vacancy notice (Dutch only). The closing date for applications is 9 September 2024, which can be submitted to gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330draob1728190330.

On 19 June 2024, the Society held its Spring Meeting on “Finding Balance:
Lessons From Courtroom Battles On International Climate Law” in hybrid format.

The presentation by Prof. André Nollkaemper and the Q&A can be viewed here.

SPRING MEETING
OF THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

FINDING BALANCE: LESSONS FROM COURTROOM BATTLES ON INTERNATIONAL CLIMATE LAW

WEDNESDAY 19 JUNE 2024 19.30 – 21.00
HUMANITY HUB, FLUWELEN BURGWAL 58, THE HAGUE AND ONLINE

In 2024, a significant shift occurred in the global climate regime. Struggling to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, states across the world found themselves in a new dynamic. Courts, originally not envisioned as key players in interpreting and applying international climate law, took centre stage. This was marked by a landmark judgment from the European Court of Human Rights, and (forthcoming) Advisory Opinions from the Law of the Sea Tribunal, the International Court of Justice and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. In over 50 states, individuals, civil society groups, and corporate actors have initiated judicial proceedings to challenge governmental and corporate climate policies, often expressly relying on international climate law.

Both international and national courts play a crucial role in clarifying states’ international obligations and responsibilities. However, they must navigate the intricate landscapes of global and national politics and grapple with the inherent limitations of their role in complex societal trade-offs in climate transitions and the search for climate justice.

This presentation will discuss the lessons that we can draw from international and national caselaw so far. It will evaluate how courts have contributed to developing and implementing international climate law and provide perspectives on how they attempt to balance competing interests in this complex global arena.

Prof. André Nollkaemper, University Professor of International Law and Sustainability, University of Amsterdam, will provide a presentation, followed by a Q&A and drinks.

Registration: Please send an email to gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330tcatn1728190330oc1728190330 by Monday 17 June 2024 indicating whether you would like to attend the meeting in person or online.

The Society devoted its Annual General Meeting of 3 November 2023 to the theme: ‘Energy Security in International Economic Law: Balancing Legal Ambitions and Geopolitical Realities’. The recording of the meeting, which was hosted by Leiden University, can be viewed here. Speakers were: Dr Anna-Alexandra Marhold, Assistant Professor, Grotius Centre of Leiden University and Dr Louise van Schaik, Head of Unit EU & Global Affairs/Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute. The meeting was introduced and moderated by Prof. Willem van Genugten (President KNVIR).

For English, please see below.

Op 3 november 2023 hield de Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Internationaal Recht (KNVIR) haar Algemene Ledenvergadering in Den Haag. Tijdens deze vergadering trad Prof. Willem van Genugten af als voorzitter van de KNVIR na deze functie 12 jaar te hebben vervuld. Het bestuur van de vereniging heeft de leden aanbevolen om Prof. Aukje van Hoek, hoogleraar Internationaal Privaatrecht en Burgerlijk Procesrecht aan de Universiteit van Amsterdam, te benoemen tot nieuwe voorzitter, hetgeen met consensus is gebeurd. Het Bestuur is Prof. Van Genugten erkentelijk voor al het werk dat hij in de Vereniging heeft geïnvesteerd en wenst Prof. Van Hoek het allerbeste in haar nieuwe rol, die zij vanaf 1 januari 2024 zal vervullen.

Willem en Aukje

On 3 November 2023, the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law held its Annual General Meeting in The Hague. During that meeting, Prof. Willem van Genugten stepped down as President of the Society after holding this position for 12 years. The Board of the Society made a recommendation to the members to appoint Prof. Aukje van Hoek, Professor of Private International Law and Civil Procedure at the University of Amsterdam, as the new President, and she was appointed by consensus. The Board is grateful to Prof. Van Genugten for his dedication to the Society over the past 12 years and wishes Prof. Van Hoek all the best in her new role, which she shall take up on 1 January 2024.

Willem en Aukje

“Energy Security in International Economic Law:
Balancing Legal Ambitions and Geopolitical Realities”

Annual General Meeting of the
Royal Netherlands Society of International Law
Friday 3 November 2023 at 2.30 p.m.

Campus Den Haag, Leiden University, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP Den Haag

This year the Society dedicates its Annual General Meeting to international energy law. Questions concerning worldwide energy security, available dispute resolution mechanisms and the impact of, inter alia, the war in Ukraine on energy policies, in the EU and beyond, will be addressed.

SPEAKERS:

Mr Dr Anna-Alexandra Marhold, Assistant Professor, Grotius Centre, Leiden University

She will present her paper on Energy Security in International Economic Law:
Balancing Legal Ambitions and Geopolitical Realities

Dr Louise van Schaik, Head of Unit EU & Global Affairs/Senior Research Fellow, Clingendael Institute

She will provide a first reflection on the paper

The presentations and discussion will be held in English.

The Annual General Meeting of the KNVIR starts at 2:30 pm with an administrative session reserved for its members. At 15:00 hrs., the presentations and discussion on international energy law will begin, which are open to members and non-members. The event will be followed by drinks.

REGISTRATION: If you wish to attend the event, please register by sending a message to gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330tcatn1728190330oc1728190330 by Monday 30 October 2023 COB.

Members will receive a digital pre-copy of the paper by email prior to the meeting, and a printed version by post after the meeting. Non-members of the Society can request a copy of the paper when registering for the event via gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330tcatn1728190330oc1728190330 (see above).

We hope to welcome you on 3 November!

The Society devoted its Spring Meeting of 7 June 2023 to the theme: ‘The Role of the UN in the Conflict in Ukraine: Attempts to Bypass the UN Charter in the Spirit of the Charter Itself?’. The recording of the meeting, which was hosted by Leiden University, can be viewed here. Speakers were: Dr. Alanna O’Malley, Associate Professor at the Leiden University Institute for History, Prof. Niels Blokker, Professor of International Institutional Law at Leiden University, and Mr. Karel van Oosterom, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. The meeting was introduced and moderated by Prof. Willem van Genugten (President KNVIR).

KNVIR Spring meeting 7 June 2023
KNVIR Spring meeting 7 June 2023

SPRING MEETING
OF THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

THE ROLE OF THE UN IN THE CONFLICT IN UKRAINE: ATTEMPTS TO BYPASS THE UN CHARTER IN THE SPIRIT OF THE CHARTER ITSELF?

7 JUNE 2023 19.00 – 21.00
LEIDEN UNIVERSITY, CAMPUS THE HAGUE AND ONLINE

While the UN provides refugee protection and humanitarian aid in Ukraine and is actively involved in the Black Sea Grain Initiative, its role in the domain of peace and security is limited: examples include speeches by the UN Secretary-General and the February 2023 General Assembly resolution demanding that the Russian Federation withdraw its troops from Ukrainian territory, in line with the UN Charter.

However, GA resolutions lack ‘bite’. The impossibility for the Security Council to act in this conflict has, again, raised the question as to what role the GA and other UN organs can still play. Various initiatives have been taken, such as the GA’s emergency special session and the adoption of GA Res. 76/262 (‘Standing mandate for a GA debate when a veto is cast in the Security Council’). Are these examples of ‘bypassing the UN Charter in the spirit of the Charter itself’, knowing that formal changes of the Charter are not a realistic perspective? Or does the Russian aggression against Ukraine and the use of its veto in the Security Council bring new stimuli to the long-standing negotiations about Security Council Reform?

Dr. Alanna O’Malley, Associate Professor at the Leiden University Institute for History, and
Prof. Niels Blokker, Professor of International Institutional Law at Leiden University,
will provide a presentation. This will be followed by a Q&A.

Date and time: Wednesday 7 June 2023, from 19.00-21.00

Location: Leiden University, Campus The Hague, Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP The Hague, or online via Zoom

Registration: Please send an email to gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330tcatn1728190330oc1728190330 by 2 June 2023 indicating whether you would like to attend the meeting in person or online via Zoom.

For questions, please contact the Secretary via gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330draob1728190330.

On 4 November 2022, the Society held its Annual General Meeting, which explored the theme ‘Shaping International Accountability around Mega-Sporting Events’. A video recording of the speakers’ presentations and the discussion of the Collected Papers can be viewed here.

KNVIR - Annual General Meeting 2022

It is with great pleasure that we hereby present to you the jury report of the 2022 François Prize of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law or Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Internationaal Recht (KNVIR). The François Prize was initiated to promote the study of public and private international law at universities in the Netherlands and is award biannually to the very best master thesis in the fields of public or private international law. We read and evaluated the anonymised submissions we received on originality and relevance of the topic, the systematic and logical way of reasoning, the quality of the legal analysis and conclusions, style and, finally, presentation. More information on the Prize can be found in the Byelaws, available on the KNVIR’s website.

Read more

At the Annual General Meeting of 4 November 2022, held in The Hague, the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

Emma R. van den Boogaard

Ms Emma R. van den Boogaard

Click here for the jury report

Click here for the prize winning paper

Ms Ingeborg H. de Koningh (Leiden University) received an honourable mention for her paper entitled “Consolidating International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law: the Protection from Gender-Based Violence against Women in Non-International Armed Conflict”.

“Shaping International Accountability
around Mega-Sporting Events”

Annual General Meeting of the
Royal Netherlands Society of International Law
Friday 4 November 2022 at 1.30 p.m.

The Hague Humanity Hub, Fluwelen Burgwal 58, 2511 CJ, The Hague

This year the Society dedicates its Annual General Meeting to legal questions that arise in relation to mega- sporting events, such as:

  • Who is responsible for violations of national or international law? The government putting out the tender, the organisers (IOC, FIFA), or the companies contracted to build the stadiums, roads, and hotels? How are these responsibilities divided up and how can different actors be held accountable?
  • What should be done for victims, in particular labour migrants, but also for victims whose property is expropriated or who are subject to “administrative detention”?
  • What should be done in the future to prevent repetition as much as possible? What are the shortcomings of current legislation and how can we, practically speaking, close the (major) gaps between theory and practice?

SPEAKERS:

Dr Daniela Heerdt (Asser Instituut) and Dr Lucas Roorda (Utrecht University)
Human rights abuses at mega-sporting events:
Exploring the responsibilities of participating states and businesses

Prof. Geert Van Calster (KU Leuven)
The private international law aspects of the responsibility and accountability for wrongful acts in the context of mega-sporting events

The presentations and discussion will be held in English.

At 13:30 hrs the Annual General Meeting of the KNVIR will be held, to which only members are admitted. At 14:00 hrs the presentation and discussion of the reports will start, followed by the announcement of the 2022 François Prize, at which members and non-members are welcome.

Non-members of the Society can receive a copy of the papers (book format, 97 pages) in advance, either by becoming a member of the Society (for €35/€20 per year). Or by ordering the book from Asser Press (€20 excl. postage). Members have received or will receive a copy of the papers in the post.

PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to attend the meeting, you are required to register by sending a message to gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330tcatn1728190330oc1728190330 no later than Monday 31 October 2022.

We hope to welcome you on 4 November!

“Speed-dating mentoring” event organised by the KNVIR and ESIL on 2 September 2022

From 31 August to 2 September inclusive the Annual Conference of the European Society of International Law (ESIL) will take place in Utrecht.

The KNVIR and ESIL have organised a “speed-dating mentoring” event on 2 September between 12:15 and 1:10 pm, where junior international lawyers can meet with more senior scholars and practitioners. Participation is free, but places will be filled on a first come, first served basis!

For further information about the participants and to register (by 31 August), please click here →

De Commissie van advies inzake volkenrechtelijke vraagstukken (CAVV) heeft meerdere vacatures openstaan. De vacaturetekst vindt u hier. De sluitingsdatum is 31 augustus 2022.

The Board of the Society is delighted at the news that Prof. Yvonne Donders has been elected as a member of the UN Human Rights Committee for 2023-2026. Prof. Donders was a member of the Board of the Society from 2012-2021. The Board congratulates her on this achievement.

Like so many around the world, the Executive Board of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law is shocked about the situation currently unfolding in Ukraine. The purpose of our Society is, among other things, to promote public international law. Promotion includes an explicit condemnation of the blatant violations of the international legal order that we are witnessing these days. This is why we fully endorse the statement of Prof. Chinkin, Executive Chair of the International Law Association (ILA), as well as similar statements issued by other national branches of the ILA.

Update 4 March 2022: the Executive Board further fully endorses the statement by the International Law Association, available here.

The Executive Board of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

The Society devoted its Spring Meeting of 24 May 2022, which was held in hybrid format, to the theme: ‘Sanctions as the go-to tool: Do they work and what role for international law?’. The recording of the meeting, which was hosted by The Hague Humanity Hub, can be viewed here. Speakers were: Prof. Peter van Bergeijk (Erasmus University) and Prof. Larissa van den Herik (Leiden University). The meeting was introduced and moderated by Prof. Willem van Genugten (President KNVIR).

SPRING MEETING
OF THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

SANCTIONS AS THE GO-TO-TOOL:
DO THEY WORK AND WHAT ROLE FOR INTERNATIONAL LAW?

24 MAY 2022 16.00 – 18.00
IN THE HUMANITY HUB, THE HAGUE, AND ONLINE

Already before the Russian aggression against Ukraine the stalemate in the UN Security Council increasingly led to a wave of unilateral sanctions. Economic sanctions may seem to have become the instrument of choice to deal with international crises, but the role of the UN Security Council has diminished.

Prof. Peter van Bergeijk (Erasmus University) and Prof. Larissa van den Herik (Leiden University) put the expanding sanctions practice into the perspectives of international relations and international law.

Do sanctions work at all? What drives their success and failure? Why is coordination of sanctions so difficult? Should international law have a more prominent role in governing sanctions?

Importantly, although targeted sanctions remain very present on the sanctions’ menu, there is again a trend towards the recomprehensivation of sanctions, a return to the more comprehensive sanctions of before. What is the future of the sanction instrument?

The speakers will each give a presentation of 20 minutes, followed by the opportunity to ask questions and a discussion.

Date and time: Tuesday 24 May 2022, from 16.00-18.00

Location: The Humanity Hub, Fluwelen Burgwal 58, 2511 CJ, The Hague, or online via Zoom

Registration: Please send an email to gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330tcatn1728190330oc1728190330 by 19 May 2022 indicating whether you would like to attend the meeting in person or online. If you are attending via Zoom, the link will be sent to the email you use for registration, unless you indicate otherwise.

For questions, please contact the Secretary via gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330draob1728190330.

On 5 November 2021, the Society held its Annual General Meeting which explored the theme ‘Global Health Law Disrupted: COVID-19 and the Climate Change Crisis’. A video recording of the speakers’ presentations and the discussion of the Collected Papers can be viewed here.

KNVIR - Annual General Meeting 2021

The Board of the

ROYAL NETHERLANDS SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

INVITES

those who are students at, or have obtained a Master’s degree from, a Dutch university, to submit their Master’s thesis on a subject of public international law or private international law to compete for the

FRANÇOIS PRIZE 2022

provided that on 31 December 2021 they have obtained their Master’s degree less than two (2) years ago.

Please note that submissions written by more than one author will not be accepted.

The submissions will be judged by a jury chaired by Prof.mr dr G.R. de Groot, Professor emeritus of Comparative Law and Private International Law at Maastricht University.  The other two members of the jury are Dr I. Boerefijn, Coordinating Policy Advisor at the Netherlands Institute for Human Rights and former Senior Lecturer in human rights at Utrecht University, and Prof.dr O. Spijkers, LL.M., Professor of Public International Law at the China Institute of Boundary and Ocean Studies (CIBOS) and the Research Institute of Environmental Law (RIEL), and Founding Staff Member of the International Water Law Academy (IWLA) of Wuhan University (China).

Submissions should be sent to the Secretariat of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law, in triplicate and anonymized, addressed as follows:

c/o Ms. C.H.M. Verhaar   
P.O. Box 778       
2300 AT  LEIDEN

Each submission must be accompanied by a completed and signed entry form and should reach the Secretariat no later than 31 December 2021.  The entry form may be found here.

The François Prize, named after Prof.mr J.P.A. François (1889-1978), was created in 1975 by the
Royal Netherlands Society of International Law
with a view to encouraging the study of public international law and private international law.
The prize consists of an award of € 2,000 and a certificate.

GLOBAL HEALTH LAW DISRUPTED: COVID-19 AND THE CLIMATE CRISIS

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
ROYAL NETHERLANDS SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
ON FRIDAY 5 NOVEMBER 2021 AT 13:30 HRS CET

VENUE: THE HAGUE HUMANITY HUB
FLUWELEN BURGWAL 58, 2511 CJ THE HAGUE
(AND ACCESSIBLE ONLINE VIA ZOOM)

The COVID-19 pandemic painfully demonstrated that protecting health is of the utmost importance to humankind. Governments everywhere are struggling to deal with the pandemic, alongside their fight against persistent diseases such as malaria and against climate change, whose effects on health conditions are undeniable.

This year, the KNVIR focuses on several major issues in the area of global health law, a field of international law that has developed over a period of 70 years, with the World Health Organization as centrepiece.

At the annual meeting four reports will be presented, addressing the status of global health law, and some of its achievements and challenges. These will be discussed in the context of human rights law, international economic law and environmental law, making it clear that the concerns raised cannot be addressed separately. There may be lessons to be learned for the discipline of international law at large.

SPEAKERS:

PROF.MR DR BIRGIT C.A. TOEBES AND MEAGHAN BEYER, LL.M.
The Origins and Scope of Global Health Law

DR KATRINA PEREHUDOFF AND DR JENNIFER SELLIN
Innovation and Access to Medicines

MARLIES HESSELMAN, LL.M.
Climate Change as a Global Health Threat in International Climate Law and Human Rights Law

DR PEDRO VILLARREAL
International Health Law and Pandemics – Will COVID-19 be a Watershed?

At 13:30 hrs CET the Annual General Meeting of the KNVIR will be held, to which only members are admitted.

At 14:00 hrs CET the presentation of the reports will start, at which members and non-members are welcome.

The presentations and discussion will be held in English.

The printed version of the Collected Papers, containing the reports, has been published by T.M.C. Asser Press and may be ordered by non-members by applying to ln.re1728190330ssa@s1728190330serp1728190330 (price € 25.00 + p.&.p.). Members have received or will receive a copy of the Collected Papers via regular mail.

PLEASE NOTE: If you wish to attend the meeting, you are required to register by sending a message to gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330tcatn1728190330oc1728190330 no later than Monday 1 November 2021. When you register, please indicate whether you wish to attend in person – at The Hague Humanity Hub – or on-line.

Spring
IJI
KNVIR Logo
NIPR logo

INTERNATIONAAL PRIVAATRECHTELIJKE GEVOLGEN VAN DE BREXIT

The Society devoted its Spring Meeting of 3 June 2021, which was held online and in the Dutch language, to the theme: ‘Internationaal privaatrechtelijke gevolgen van de Brexit’ (Private international law consequences of the Brexit). The recording of the meeting, which was hosted by The Hague Humanity Hub and co-organised by the Internationaal Juridisch Instituut and the legal journal Nederlands Internationaal Privaatrecht, can be viewed here. Speakers were: Prof. Dr. Ian Sumner, University of Tilburg, Dr. André Berends LL.M. (Dutch Ministry of Finance), Tess Bens LL.M. (Radboud University), Dr. Fieke van Overbeeke LL.M. (Internationaal Juridisch Instituut). The meeting was introduced by Prof. Willem van Genugten (President KNVIR) and moderated by Prof. Marta Pertegás (member executive board KNVIR).

Springmeeting 2021
Spring
IJI
KNVIR Logo
NIPR logo

INTERNATIONAAL PRIVAATRECHTELIJKE GEVOLGEN VAN DE BREXIT

VOORJAARSVERGADERING

van de Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Internationaal Recht
in samenwerking met het Internationaal Juridisch Instituut en het tijdschrift Nederlands Internationaal Privaatrecht
Online gehouden op
3 juni 2021 16.00 – 18.00 

Graag nodigen het Internationaal Juridisch Instituut (IJI), het tijdschrift Nederlands Internationaal Privaatrecht (NIPR) en de Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Internationaal Recht (KNVIR) u uit voor een webinar over de Internationaal Privaatrechtelijke Gevolgen van de Brexit

Het webinar zal bestaan uit vier inleidingen van 10-15 minuten elk:

Na de echtscheiding, komt de afwikkeling! Brexit en het internationaal familierecht
Prof. dr. Ian Sumner, hoogleraar IPR, Universiteit van Tilburg

Het internationale insolventierecht tussen Nederland en het Verenigd Koninkrijk sinds de Brexit
Mr. dr. André Berends, specialist bij het Ministerie van Financiën

Brussel na de Brexit – Nieuwe regels voor burgerlijke en handelszaken 
Mr. Tess Bens, docent Burgerlijk Recht, Radboud Universiteit

De Brexit vanuit Den Haag: Biedt de Hague Judgments Convention uitkomst?[1]
Dr. Mr. Fieke van Overbeeke, CEO & Legal Counsel, Internationaal Juridisch Instituut

[1] De titel van dit programmaonderdeel is onder voorbehoud. 

Aansluitend is er ruimte voor vragen en discussie. De inleidingen zijn in het Nederlands, maar vragen en discussiebijdragen kunnen tevens worden gesteld/geleverd in het Engels. Het webinar wordt gemodereerd door Prof. dr. Marta Pertegás Sender, hoogleraar IPR en Transnationaal Recht, Universiteit Maastricht en lid van het Dagelijks Bestuur van de KNVIR. 

Datum en tijd: donderdag 3 juni, van 16.00 tot 18.00 uur, via Zoom.

Aanmelden: leden van de KNVIR en andere geïnteresseerden kunnen zich aanmelden t/m dinsdag 1 juni via gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330ofni1728190330, onder vermelding van het emailadres waarop zij de link voor het webinar wensen te ontvangen.

Voor vragen kunt u contact opnemen met de Secretaris van de KNVIR: gro.r1728190330ivnk@1728190330draob1728190330


The Society devoted its Annual General Meeting of November 6, which was held online, to the theme: ‘International Law for a Digitalised World’.  The recording of the discussion of the Collected Papers can be viewed here. (Please note that the video starts rather abruptly, while for technical reasons the parts on the voting on the propositions have been left out.)

On 6 November 2020, the KNVIR awarded the biennial Francois Prize. The report of the jury reads as follows:

It is my great pleasure and honour to present the jury report of the 2020 François Prize of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law.  The François Prize was created to promote the study of public international law and private international law and is offered, every other year, to an excellent master’s thesis or other comparable paper in these fields of law.  Ph.D. dissertations, books, articles published in scientific journals or publications that otherwise have been reviewed and revised externally do not qualify.  The anonymised submissions are judged on originality and relevance of the topic, the systematic and logical way of thinking, the quality of the legal analysis and conclusions, style and, finally, presentation.  More information on the Prize can be found in its Bye-Laws, available on the Society’s website.

Read more
Vassilis Dokalis

At the Annual Meeting on 6 November 2020, which was held online, 
the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

Mr. Vassilis Dokalis

INTERNATIONAL LAW FOR A DIGITALISED WORLD

Annual Meeting of the
ROYAL NETHERLANDS SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
Friday 6 November 2020 at 13:30 CET
ON-LINE VIA ZOOM

Read more

The video of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law’s Spring Meeting ‘The WTO Before, During and After Corona’, organised on 24 June 2020 in cooperation with the T.M.C. Asser Instituut.

The (adapted) power point presentation of the Spring Meeting’s speaker, Prof. Peter van den Bossche, can be found here:

SPRING MEETING

of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

to be held online on

Wednesday 24 JUNE 2020 16.00 – 17.00 Hrs (cet)

The WTO, established on 1 January 1995, has for a long time been one of the success stories of international law. This is largely due to its track record in the settlement of disputes: since 1995, 595 disputes have been brought to the WTO, while over 350 rulings have been issued. However, in recent times, the Organization has been challenged by, inter alia, inconclusive discussions on multilateral trade, a growing emphasis on nationalism and protectionism, at least in some states, the lack of attention to the position of developing states (despite the 2013 ‘Bali Package’), the blocking of the appointment of judges in the Dispute Settlement Body, and, in recent times, the nearly unforeseeable trade consequences of COVID-19.

For obvious reasons, the Society’s traditional ‘Voorjaarsvergadering’ (Spring Meeting) cannot take its usual shape this year. The Board of the Society therefore invites its Members and others who are interested to attend this online meeting. The event will have an informative as well as forward-looking character, and will be introduced by Prof. Peter Van den Bossche, judge in the WTO Appellate Body from 2009 to 2019, Professor of International Economic Law, University of Bern, and Director of Studies, World Trade Institute, Bern. Prof. Van den Bossche is an honorary professor at Maastricht University, the Netherlands (since 2018), and a visiting professor at the LUISS Guido Carli University, Rome, Italy (since 2016), at the Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Ecuador (since 2016), and at the College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium (since 2010).

The event will run for one hour, with half an hour being reserved for the introductory lecture by Prof. Van den Bossche and half an hour for Q&A and some discussion, depending on the time available.

Date and Time:            Wednesday 24 June 2020, 16.00-17.00 hrs (CET), via Zoom.

Registration:                Members and non-members are welcome to attend. Registration is required. Please register for free by Monday 22 June 2020 by sending an email to .gro.1728190330rivnk1728190330@ofni1728190330

This week, Mr. Huw Llewellyn, Director of the Codification Division of the Office of Legal Affairs of the United Nations invited members of the KNVIR to make use of the international law training and research materials available in the UN’s Audiovisual Library of International Law (AVL), which may be accessed here.

The AVL contains more than 600 lectures on a large number of international law subjects and in the Historic Archives you may find more than 100 legal instruments, together with introductory notes prepared by internationally recognised experts, as well as audiovisual materials.

The AVL is also available as a podcast here.

Given the outbreak of Covid-19 and the present need for online educational materials and resources, the AVL may provide very useful materials, especially for our members in academia.  Please feel free to make use of these materials and resources.

General-Meetings

On 1 November 2019, during the Annual General Meeting, three preadviseurs – prof. Göran Sluiter, prof. Stephan Parmentier and dr. Antoine Duval presented their reports on, in summary, the progress and non-progress made in the field of international criminal law over the last 25 years, on alternatives for criminal prosecution and on the way companies have been encountering criminal proceedings.  In doing so they also paid extensive attention to the shortcomings to be addressed and the gaps to be filled in order to end impunity for international crimes.  Unfortunately, dr. Eva Kassoti, co-author of one pf the reports, together with dr. Duval, was absent, due to illness.

mr. Fons Orie, invited by the Board to do so, commented on the three papers.  Following these presentations, the audience was asked to add their comments and raise their questions, which led to a lively debate that took the remainder of the afternoon.  Many of those present participated in the discussion and, in their interaction with the presenters, contributed to a very interesting meeting.

Annual General Meeting 2019

From left to right: prof. W. van Genugten, prof. G. Sluiter, prof. S. Parmentier, dr. A. Duval, mr. F. Orie and dr. E. Kassoti

A full report of the proceedings will be published on this website as soon as it is available.

General-Meetings

The “Preadvies” by prof. dr. S. Parmentier on ‘Living Up To International Criminal Law State of Affairs, Prospects And Mandates’ is now available online.

Preadvies 2019
prof. dr. S. Parmentier
Addendum to ‘Living up to International Criminal Law: State of Affairs, Prospects and Mandates’

It will be presented by the author at the Annual Meeting on 1 November.

prof. dr. S. Parmentier
General-Meetings

Living Up To International Criminal Law

State of Affairs, Prospects And Mandates

Annual Meeting of The

Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

On Friday 1 November 2019 At 1:30 P.M.

Room 2.02 (klein auditorium), wijnhavengebouw,
Campus The Hague, Leiden University
Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP The Hague

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François Prize

The Board of the

Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

Invites

those who are students at, or have obtained a Master’s degree from, a Dutch university, to submit a paper or other similar writing (not being a Ph.D. thesis, a book, a published article or another publication that has been judged externally) on a subject of public international law or private international law to compete for the

François Prize 2020

provided that on 31 December 2019 they have passed their exam less than two (2) years ago.

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Institut de Droit international

From 25 to 31 August 2019 the 79th Session of the renowned Institut de Droit international (Institute of International Law – IDI – established in 1873, Nobel Peace Prize in 1904) will be held at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

Members of the KNVIR are invited to attend the following meetings of this IDI Session:

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The UN In Times of Global Challenges

Insights from The Security Council

This year, the KNVIR devoted its Spring Meeting to the role the UN, and more particularly the UN Security Council, are playing in a world full of challenges, including attacks on multilateralism and, linked to that, fickle leadership in a broader sense. The meeting was jointly organised with the Netherlands United Nations Association (NVVN) (represented by dr. Otto Spijkers), the The Hague University of Applied Sciences (HHS) and Leiden University (both represented by prof. Alanna O’Malley).
Kingdom of the Netherlands
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Spring

Spring Meeting 2019 on 18 April

the Netherlands United Nations Association (NVVN)
KNVIR Logo
Leiden University Governance and Global Affairs
The Hague University of Applied Sciences (HHS)

The UN in times of Global challenges

Insights from the Security Council

Keynote Speakers

Ambassador Karel van Oosterom
Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of The Netherlands to the United Nations

Ambassador Peter Wilson
British Ambassador to the Netherlands and UK Permanent Representative to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)

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Spring

The UN In Times of Global Challenges

Insights from The Security Council

Spring Meeting of The

Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

On Thursday 18 April 2019 At 17:30 hrs.

Room 2.02 (klein auditorium), wijnhavengebouw,
Campus The Hague, Leiden University
Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP The Hague

Speaker

Ambassador Karel van Oosterom
Permanent Representative of The Kingdom of The Netherlands to The United Nations

Meeting jointly organised by

The Netherlands United Nations Association (Nvvn), The Royal Netherlands Society Of International Law and The Hague University of Applied Sciences (Hhs) Leiden University

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General-Meetings

A successful Annual General Meeting was held on 2 November

Climate change, the subject of this year’s Annual General Meeting, drew a large crowd to the Wijnhavengebouw of Leiden University’s The Hague campus on 2 November.

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François Prize

It is my great pleasure to announce the winner of the 2018 François Prize of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law to you today at our annual meeting. This prize is a bi-annual prize that honours the best Master’s thesis in the fields of public international law or private international law written at a Dutch University in the past two years, in as much as these papers have not yet been published and have been sent to the jury. The anonymous or anonymized submissions are judged among other things on their originality, their demon­stration of a profound understanding of the law in a particular field, and the language used.  For those interested, you may find the Bye-Laws for the Prize on our website.

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General-Meetings

The “Preadvies” by prof. mr. dr. A.H.A. (Fred) Soons on ‘Climate Change:
Options and Duties under International Law’ is available online

Addendum to ‘Climate Change: Options and Duties under International Law’

It has been presented by the author at the Annual Meeting on 2 November.

prof. mr. dr. A.H.A. (Fred) Soons

General-Meetings

Climate Change

Options And Duties Under International Law

Annual Meeting of The

Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

On Friday 2 November 2018 At 1:30 P.M.

Room 2.02 (klein auditorium), wijnhavengebouw,
Campus The Hague, Leiden University
Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP The Hague

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All are invited to the Maastricht Private Law Lecture, 11-12 October 2018, by prof. dr. Symeon C. Symeonides. The topic of the lecture is The ‘Private’ in Private International Law.

The Maastricht Private Law Lecture, hosted by the Maastricht Department of Private Law, is an annual event at which a most distinguished scholar is invited to give a lecture on a topic related to the wide field of private law. An interactive seminar with PhD-researchers will follow on the next day.

Symeon C. Symeonides
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Spring

The Children of the Caliphate and International Law

Speakers

  • dr. Bibi van Ginkel, LLM
    Senior research fellow, Netherlands Institute for International Relations ‘Clingendael’ and research fellow, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, The Hague (ICCT)
  • drs. Mattie van der Molen
    Behaviourist, Dutch Council for Child Protection

Thursday 13 June 2019 at 19:00 hrs.
Room 3.60, wijnhavengebouw,
Campus The Hague, Leiden University
Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP The Hague

Minutes of The Spring Meeting 2018

On 13 June, the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law (KNVIR) organised its Spring Meeting on the topic of ‘The Children of the Caliphate and International Law’. This event examined state responses regarding the children of parents who joined the Islamic State (IS) in Iraq and Syria from the perspectives of states’ obligations under international law and child protection. Particular attention was paid to the policy in the Netherlands, which – like several other states –does not actively repatriate Dutch children back to the Netherlands.

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Spring

The Children of the Caliphate and International Law

Speakers

  • dr. Bibi van Ginkel, LLM
    Senior research fellow, Netherlands Institute for International Relations ‘Clingendael’ and research fellow, International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, The Hague (ICCT)
  • drs. Mattie van der Molen
    Behaviourist, Dutch Council for Child Protection

Thursday 13 June 2019 at 19:00 hrs.
Room 3.60, wijnhavengebouw,
Campus The Hague, Leiden University
Turfmarkt 99, 2511 DP The Hague

With the crumbling of IS’ Caliphate new challenges have come to the surface. One such challenge that has been discussed vigorously over the past weeks and months, is what to do with the ‘Children of the Caliphate’, that is to say: the children of parents who joined IS in Iraq and Syria. What does international law say about the obligations of states in this matter and how should we assess certain governmental practices, such as those of the Netherlands, which currently does not actively repatriate Dutch children back to the Netherlands, taking into account international law, as well as other perspectives?

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The jury of the Theo van Boven – Maastricht Human Rights Research Prize 2018 is looking for excellent young researchers in the field of human rights law, international criminal law or international humanitarian law. Nominations must be received by 15 September 2018.

The Prize consists of 3.000 Euro and a seminar on a subject chosen by the laureate, organized together with the International Law Department and the Maastricht Centre for Human Rights of Maastricht Law faculty. The winner will be announced on Human Rights Day 2018.

The nomination must identify the PhD thesis of the nominee or other substantial academic work in this field and a motivation must be attached as to the quality of the researcher nominated. Nominations on the basis of publications in Dutch, English, French, as well as German are welcome. Self-nominations or nominations by close relatives will not be accepted.

For more info, and to nominate someone, see this website.

Theo van Boven – Maastricht Human Rights Research Prize

You can now register for the ILA meeting in Sydney. Please go to this website. Early bird fees apply.

The International Law Association

The ILA Australian Branch is pleased to announce that the conference website for the 78th Biennial Conference of the International Law Association, which will be held in Sydney 19-24 August 2018 is now live. The website will be updated in coming weeks with further details on the programme, registration details and conference fees. You can also follow the official ILA 2018 Conference Facebook page.

The International Law Association

The Australian Branch of the International Law Association is hosting the next biennial conference from 19 to 24 August 2018. To assist in building the parallel program for the conference, the Australian Branch has released a Call for Papers and Panels – 2018 ILA Conference Sydney (,pdf). Submissions may be emailed to the address indicated in the call. Additional information may be found on the conference website: www.ila2018.org.au.

General-Meetings

Protecting The Rights of Families And Children In A Changing World

On Friday 3 November 2017 the Annual General Meeting was held at The Hague Institute for Global Justice.

The public part of the meeting was devoted to a discussion of two papers on the theme mentioned above.

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François Prize

The Board of the

Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

Invites

those who are students at, or have obtained a Master’s degree from, a Dutch university, to submit a paper or other similar writing (not being a Ph.D. thesis, a book, a published article or another publication that has been judged externally) on a subject of public international law or private international law to compete for the

François Prize 2018

provided that on 31 December 2017 they have passed their exam less than two (2) years ago.

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On 28 August 2017, our honorary member prof. mr. dr. Nico J. Schrijver was sworn in by His Majesty King Willem Alexander as State Councillor (Staatsraad) in the Advisory Division (Afdeling advisering) of the Council of State (Raad van State).

prof. Schrijver is professor of public international law at Leiden University and Director of the University’s Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies. From 7 June 2011 until 1 September 2017, when he took up his position as State Councillor, prof. Schrijver was a member of the Netherlands Senate (Eerste Kamer der Staten-Generaal). He also is one of the four Dutch members of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

Earlier this summer, our Board member prof. dr. Liesbeth Lijnzaad was elected as a judge at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea at Hamburg.

prof. Lijnzaad is the first judge from The Netherlands to occupy this position. On 30 September 2017, the day before she takes up her new position at the ITLOS, she will leave the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where she worked as Legal Adviser for almost 25 years. prof. Lijnzaad also is professor of Practice of International Law at Maastricht University and a member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague.

The KNVIR congratulates prof. Schrijver and prof. Lijnzaad with their highly prestigious appointments.

Spring

Fake News and National Sovereignty

The dangers of politically and militarily motivated fake news and its impace on national interests

Speakers

  • mr. Jan Kleijssen
    Director of Information Society and Action against Crime, Council of Europe
  • Rosa S.E.V. Toxopeus, M.A.
    Analyst National Security, National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism, Analysis and Strategy Department (DAS)
  • drs. Carmen Gonsalves
    Head International Cyber Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Tuesday 13 june 2017 at 19:00 Hrs.
The Hague Institute for Global Justice
Sophialaan 10, The Hague

Proceedings of The Spring Meeting 2017

The annual Spring Meeting of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law is attended by more than 50 members and non-members. The Chairman, prof. Willem van Genugten, opens the meeting by announcing the unexpected absence of the special guest dr. K.H.D.M. Dijkhoff, Minister for Migration (Staatssecretaris Veiligheid en Justitie), who was invited for the book presentation at the beginning of the meeting. The collapse, yesterday, of the negotiations for a new government, means that dr. Dijkhoff has to attend a meeting in parliament tonight. Under the circumstances the presentation is replaced by a brief introduction of the two books.

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Spring

Fake News and National Sovereignty

The dangers of politically and militarily motivated fake news and its impace on national interests

Spring Meeting of The

Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

Tuesday 13 june 2017 at 19:00 Hrs.

The Hague Institute for Global Justice
Sophialaan 10, The Hague

Speakers

mr. Jan Kleijssen
Director of Information Society and Action against Crime, Council of Europe

Rosa S.E.V. Toxopeus, M.A.
Analyst National Security, National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism, Analysis and Strategy Department (DAS)

drs. Carmen Gonsalves
Head International Cyber Policy, Ministry of Foreign Affairs

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François Prize
Catherine A. Blanchard

At the Annual Meeting in Utrecht on 4 November 2016
the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

Ms. Catherine A. Blanchard

Click here for the text of the prize winning paper

A revised version of the paper was published in the Canadian Yearbook of International Law, Vol. 53 (2015), p. 66-118.

mr. Martijn J. Keeman received honourable mention.

General-Meetings

UN Declaration on the Right to Development 1986-2016

Ways to Promote Further Progress in Practice

On Friday 4 November 2016 the Annual General Meeting was held in Utrecht.

The public part of the meeting was devoted to a discussion of two papers on the theme mentioned above.

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Spring

Migration, Refugees and International Law

Speakers

  • drs. Bram van Ojik
    Special Envoy for Migration, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • prof. dr. Ashley B. Terlouw
    Professor of Sociology, Radboud University, Nijmegen
    Board Member Centre of Migration Law, Nijmegen
  • dr. Hans van Loon
    Former Secretary General of the Hague Conference onPrivate International Law

The Spring Meeting was held on Wednesday 25 May 2016 in The Hague

Minutes of The Spring Meeting 2016

The Chairman, prof.dr. Willem J.M. van Genugten, opens the Annual Spring Meeting of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law at 7:05 P.M. and welcomes the approximately 40 persons present. The meeting is also intended to commemorate the late KNVIR Treasurer dr. Peter J. van Krieken, who passed away last year and was a specialist in the field of refugees and migrant law. He was a member of the Board from 2008-2015. An In Memoriam can be found on the website of the KNVIR. The Chair subsequently introduces the three speakers: mr. Bram van Ojik (Special Envoy for Migration, Ministry of Foreign Affairs), mr. Flip Schüller (lawyer at Prakken d’Oliveira, Amsterdam), and dr. Hans van Loon (former Secretary-General of the Hague Conference on Private International Law).

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Spring

Migration, Refugees and International Law

Speakers

  • drs. Bram van Ojik
    Special Envoy for Migration, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • prof. dr. Ashley B. Terlouw
    Professor of Sociology, Radboud University, Nijmegen
    Board Member Centre of Migration Law, Nijmegen
  • dr. Hans van Loon
    Former Secretary General of the Hague Conference onPrivate International Law

The Spring Meeting was held on Wednesday 25 May 2016 in The Hague

Asylum, migration and refugee issues dominate the news, and confront the community of international lawyers with pertinent questions as to clashes between political pragmatism, required given the magnitude of the problems at hand, and the obligation to live up to international law.  The KNVIR devoted its annual Spring Meeting to this particular topic by organising a discussion among the Special Envoy for Migration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and two legal specialists, together representing the two ‘branches’ of the KNVIR:  Public and Private International Law.  The meeting also commemorated the late KNVIR Treasurer dr. Peter J. van Krieken, who was a specialist in this field as well.

General-Meetings

Settlement of International Trade Disputes

Achievements and Challenges

On Friday 6 November 2015 the Annual General Meeting was held at the The Hague Institute for Global Justice.

The public part of the meeting was devoted to a discussion of four papers on the theme mentioned above.

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François Prize

The Board of the

Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

Invites

those who are students at, or have obtained a Master’s degree from, a Dutch university, to submit a paper or other similar writing (not being a Ph.D. thesis, a book, a published article or another publication that has been judged externally) on a subject of public international law or private international law to compete for the

François Prize 2016

provided that on 31 December 2015 they have passed their exam less than two (2) years ago.

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In Memoriam

dr. P.J. van Krieken
1949 – 2015

Charming, intelligent, internationalist, slightly eccentric, committed and engaging: these are only a few words to describe the multifaceted personality of dr. Peter van Krieken, Treasurer of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law, who passed away, aged 65, on 22 May 2015 after a brief but devastating illness. Peter was a very well educated and talented man, who knew his classics, was a passionate violinist and a gifted teacher.


P.J. van Krieken

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The Judicialization of International Law – A Mixed Blessing

The 2015 ESIL Annual Conference will be held on Thursday 10 – Saturday 12 September 2015 at the University of Oslo.

The Call for Agora Proposals and Papers and Call for Posters are now open, and the deadline for submissions is 31 January 2015.

esil

Further details of the event can be found on the conference website…

François Prize
Arron N. Honniball

At the Annual Meeting in Utrecht on 7 November 2014
the J.P.A François Prize was awarded to:

mr. Arron N. Honniball

Click here for the text of the prize winning paper

mr. Itamar Magid received honourable mention.

General-Meetings

Refining human rights obligations in conflict situations

On Friday 7 November 2014 the Annual General Meeting was held at the Raadzaal of Utrecht University.

The public part of the meeting was devoted to a discussion of three papers on the theme mentioned above.

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The International Law Association

The 76th ILA Biennial Conference took place from 7-11 April 2014 in Washington, D.C.

The conference coincided with and was intertwined with the ASIL 108th annual meeting. The theme was ‘The Effectiveness of International Law’. Some 470 ILA-members attended (as well as more than 1000 ASIL-members).

The ILA’s core work (committees on various topics, studying and reporting, and sometimes finalising their work with resolutions) took place in an inspiring and friendly atmosphere.

A number of committees and study groups held open working sessions, all of which were well attended. Reports of these sessions will be included in the final report of the conference, alongside the substantive reports of these committees and study groups.

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General-Meetings

Please note that by mistake, the KNVIR submitted an incorrect version of the preadvies written by Hans van Loon and Stéphanie De Dycker, entitled ‘The Role of the International Court of Justice in the Development of Private International Law’, to the publisher.  Our sincere apologies for this.

The Role of the International Court of Justice in the Development of Private International Law

General-Meetings

One Century Peace Palace, from Past to Present

On Friday 1 November 2013 the Annual General Meeting was held at the Peace Palace in The Hague.

The public part of the meeting was devoted to a discussion of three papers on the theme mentioned above.

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François Prize

The Board of the

Royal Netherlands Society of International Law

Invites

those who are students at, or have obtained a Master’s degree from, a Dutch university, to submit a paper or other similar writing (not being a Ph.D. thesis, a book, a published article or another publication that has been judged externally) on a subject of public international law or private international law to compete for the

François Prize 2014

provided that on 31 December 2013 they have passed their exam less than two (2) years ago.

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Spring

Arbitration as a means of solving international disputes

Advantages and Risks

Speakers

  • mr. Hugo H. Siblesz
    Secretary General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration
  • prof.dr. Jamal Seifi
    Judge at the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal and Professor of Global Law (2015) at Tilburg University
  • prof.dr. Vesna Lazic
    Senior Researcher at the T.M.C. Asser Institute, Associate Professor of International Commercial Arbitration at Utrecht University and Professor of EU Civil Procedure at the University of Rijeka, Croatia

held on Tuesday 21 April 2015 at the The Hague Institute for Global Justice

Minutes of The Spring Meeting 2015

The annual Spring Meeting of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law was attended by about 40 members and non-members. The Chairman opened the meeting at 7:00 P.M. He then introduced the three speakers and invited them to give their respective presentations, to be followed immediately by a discussion.

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Spring

Looting of Cultural Property during Foreign Occupation

Speakers

  • mr. Taco Dibbits
    Director of Collections of the Rijksmuseum
  • prof.dr. Liesbeth Lijnzaad
    Legal Adviser, Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and 
Professor Practice of International Law at Maastricht University
  • mr. Rob Polak
    Formerly partner De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, and 
Chairman of the Association of Art, Culture and Law

held on Thursday 17 April 2014 at the Hague Institute for Global Justice

Minutes of The Spring Meeting 2014

The annual Spring Meeting of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law was attended by about 40 members and non-members. The Chairman opened the meeting at [7:00] P.M. He then introduced the three speakers and invited them to give their respective presentations, to be followed immediately by a discussion.

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Spring

Business and Human Rights: Issues of Legal Accountability

Speakers

  • dr. Liesbeth F.H. Enneking
    Post-doctoral Research Fellow at UCALL, Utrecht University’s 
Centre for Accountability and Liability Law and co-author of one of the amicus curiae briefs in the Kiobel case before the U.S. Supreme Court
  • prof.dr. René J.M. Lefeber
    Professor of International Environmental Law at the Amsterdam Centre for Environmental Law and Sustainability of the University of Amsterdam
  • mr. Bastiaan Pries
    Associate General Counsel in the Legal Department of
 Shell International B.V.

On Monday 3 June 2013 at The Institute For Global Justice, The Hague

Minutes of The Spring Meeting 2013

The annual Spring Meeting of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law was attended by about 70 members and non-members. The Chairman opened the meeting at 7:00 P.M. and announced that the meeting would have to end at around 9:00 P.M. He then introduced the three speakers and invited them to give their respective presentations, to be followed immediately by a discussion.

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François Prize

The Jury of the François Prize received eighteen submissions for this year’s Prize. Most of the submissions deal with a public international law subject. Only one submission concerns a topic of private international law. In 2014 also, the Jury had to conclude that the number of submissions in the field of private international law was lagging far behind when compared to the number of submissions in the field of public international law. If this phenomenon is indicative of the position that private international law currently occupies in academic education in the Netherlands, there is – in view of the societal relevance of private international law in a strongly internationalised society – cause for some concern.

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François Prize

The jury of the François Prize 2014 received a record-number of 25 submissions, covering a wide range of international law topics. Most of them are on public international law. Only a few concern private international law. The jury notes this development with some concern, but refrains from any speculations as to the cause.

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François Prize

Voor de Françoisprijs 2012 zijn negentien inzendingen ontvangen. Alle inzendingen zijn door de juryleden gelezen en beoordeeld op de volgende criteria: originaliteit en belang van het onderwerp, systematische en logische denkwijze, kwaliteit van de juridische analyse en van de conclusies, stijl en taalgebruik, en ten slotte de presentatie van het werkstuk.

De inzendingen betreffen zeer verschillende onderwerpen op het terrein van het volkenrecht en van het internationaal privaatrecht. Inzendingen zijn ontvangen van studenten van vrijwel alle Nederlandse universiteiten en tevens, zo heeft de jury verheugd geconstateerd, van studenten van de Opleiding Krijgswetenschappen aan de Nederlandse Defensie Academie te Breda. De kwaliteit van de inzendingen is naar het oordeel van de jury over het algemeen hoog. Het is de jury opgevallen dat veel inzendingen niet alleen in kwaliteit, maar ook in omvang hoog scoren. Werkstukken die tegen de honderd bladzijden beslaan, zijn niet uitzonderlijk.

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