By: Charlotte O’Reilly, Project Manager T.M.C. Asser Instituut
The autumn of 2014 and another bustling summer has come and gone at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut. Each year the summer season has a number of programmes on offer from June until September. Following the success of last year, when the summer programme on Sports Law was a new addition. This year we successfully introduced a fifth summer programme; European Environmental Law.
The summer season at the T.M.C. Asser Instituut traditionally kicks off with the Summer Law Program on International Criminal Law and International Legal Approaches – 1 month, 28 speakers, 6 study visits, 2 courses. This programme provides a unique opportunity for students from various American universities and external applicants to connect, network and learn together in the legal capital of the world. Our annual opening lecture by H.E. Judge Fausto Pocar started what would be a month of excellent guest lecturers from academic as well as practice backgrounds.
The second summer programme of 2014 revolved around the question Is Sport Playing by the Rule of Law? The programme covered topics ranging from The FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber; background, Procedural Aspects and Relevant Jurisprudence to Marketing and Exploitation of Sports Media Rights: Competition Law Issues and with this is open to all those with an interest in this area of law. This year’s programme was officially opened by Jerome Champagne, who provided the keynote address.
The newly introduced Summer Programme on International & European Environmental Law: Facing the Challenges? received great interest from the public and we were delighted to welcome a group of interested participants to this highly relevant programme from 25 – 29 August 2014. With thought provoking topics such as Cross Boundary Environmental Impact Assessment and Challenges in Ensuring Sustainable Management of Natural Resources this summer programme provided the perfect platform for debate and discussion and offered a “deep insight into the actual problem of IEEL […] get a better vision of the general principles and how they are of use in protecting the environment”.
The last week of August also saw the fourth edition of the summer programme on Countering Terrorism in the Post 9/11 World: Legal Challenges & Dilemmas organised in cooperation with the International Centre for Counter-Terrorism (ICCT). Throughout the week theory was supported by study visits to institutes such as Eurojust and the Special Tribunal for Lebananon with on the final day a practical workshop on Foreign Fighters: Definitions, Legal Challenges and Threat Assessments.
With the OPCW as its partner the T.M.C. Asser Instituut hosted its final programme of the summer on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction in a Changing World. This programme welcomed many honourable speakers such as H.E. Ahmed Üzümcü, Director General of the OPCW whom addressed the group on The Future of the OPCW: The Syria Mission and Beyond and Mr. Paul Walker, International Programme Director for the Green Cross. The programme covered many recent and current subjects such as the Nuclear Security Summit 2014 in The Hague and the removal and destruction of chemical weapons in Syria. Field visits to the Nuclear Research Reactor in Delft, the OPCW equipment store as well as the TNO in Rijswijk provided a practical element to the fourth day of the programme.
Throughout the summer of 2014 we welcomed 81 participants over 5 summer programmes from 31 different countries to T.M.C. Asser Instituut. We look forward to seeing you in 2015!
