Institut de Droit International facts for kids
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Institut de Droit International
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| Abbreviation | IIL, IDI |
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| Formation | 8 September 1873 |
| Founded at | Ghent, Belgium |
| Type | NGO, IGO, Society |
| Legal status | Institute |
| Purpose | Promote the progress of international law |
| Headquarters | Geneva, Switzerland |
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Region
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Worldwide |
| Methods | Scientific research, publications, teaching and lobbying |
| Fields | International law |
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Secretary-General
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Marcelo Kohen |
| Affiliations | Consultant - ECOSOC Consultant - HCCH |
| Website | www.idi-iil.org |
The Institute of International Law (also known as the Institut de Droit International in French) is a special group dedicated to studying and improving international law. Think of international law as the rules that countries agree to follow when dealing with each other. This Institute is made up of the world's top experts in this field. They even won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1904 for their important work!
History of the Institute
The Institute was started by Gustave Moynier and Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns. They worked with 9 other famous international lawyers. They founded the group on September 8, 1873, in the Town Hall of Ghent, Belgium.
The people who started the Institute in 1873 were:
- Pasquale Stanislao Mancini (from Rome), who was the first President;
- Emile de Laveleye (from Liege);
- Tobias Michael Carel Asser (from Amsterdam);
- James Lorimer (from Edinburgh);
- Wladimir Besobrassof (from Saint-Petersburg);
- Gustave Moynier (from Geneva);
- Jean Gaspar Bluntschli (from Heidelberg);
- Augusto Pierantoni (from Naples);
- Carlos Calvo (from Buenos Aires);
- Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns (from Ghent);
- David Dudley Field (from New York).
150-Year Celebration
In September 2023, the Institute celebrated its 150th birthday! This big event happened during their 81st meeting in Angers, France. Important people, including three French government ministers, joined the celebration. The President of France, Emmanuel Macron, and the United Nations Secretary General, António Guterres, even sent video messages.
During this special meeting, the Institute also showed a new documentary film. This film is all about the history of the organization. It features many well-known experts in international law and even current judges from the International Court of Justice.
How the Institute Works
The Institute is a private group. It has different types of members: associates, members, and honorary members. The rules say that there can't be more than 132 members and associates under 80 years old.
New members are chosen every two years by the current members. To become a member, a person must have done important scholarly work in international law. They also need to be someone who can make decisions without being pressured by politics. The Institute tries to have members from all over the world.
The organization holds meetings every two years. At these meetings, they study how international law works right now. They also pass resolutions, which are like official suggestions for how international law could be improved. However, they do not comment on specific disagreements between countries.
The Institute's suggestions cover many parts of international law. Some of their resolutions are especially important for human rights and finding peaceful ways to solve problems between countries. This is why the organization received the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Institute is still very active today. Their most recent meeting was in Angers, France, in August 2023. The main office of the Institute moves around, depending on where the Secretary-General is from. Right now, the headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland, at the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies.
Current members of the Institute include important lawyers, law professors, former ambassadors, and judges from courts like the International Court of Justice and the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.
Recently, the Institute has made resolutions on many important topics. These include universal jurisdiction (where certain crimes can be judged anywhere), temporary measures in legal cases, rules for shipwrecks, immunity (protection from legal action), environmental law, and the use of force.
The Institute publishes a yearly book called the Annuaire. This book contains reports from their committees, discussions from their main meetings, and any declarations or resolutions they have made. It also includes records of administrative meetings, like elections.
The Institute's website also has an online library. Here, you can find declarations, resolutions, and even works that are still being developed for future inclusion in the Annuaire.
See also
In Spanish: Instituto de Derecho Internacional para niños
