A Centenary of the Hague Academy of International Law
By Roy Lie Atjam
The Hague Academy of International Law, housed in the Peace Palace, celebrated its 100th anniversary. Various international guests, including jurists, diplomats, politicians and prominent lawyers, attend a celebratory session on May 24th 2023.
The Hague Academy is a centre for education and research in the field of international public- and private law. The Academy is renowned for its summer and winter courses and has trained more than hundreds of future lawyers and diplomats, from around the globe. The first courses of the Hague Academy of International Law were in 1923.
It all began with Tobias Asser, the first Dutch national awarded the Nobel Peace Laureate in 1911. He contributed to the founding of The Hague Academy of International Law by donating part of his prize money. Asser is also the founder of The Hague Tradition. Tobias Asser was all means a diplomatic genius.
Speakers at the solemn sitting on the occasion of the centenary of the Academy were:
Prof. Jean-Marc Thouvenin, Secretary-General of the Academy, opened the solemn sitting to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of The Hague Academy of International Law. He stated. “The founders of our institution understood that international civil society, whose foundation is international law, needed an institution like the Academy to better study, understand, disseminate and critique international law so that it could be improved and updated. The Academy has fulfilled this role very well and has occupied a unique position as a result.”
Prof. Geneviève Bastid-Burdeau, former Secretary-General of the Academy
H.E. Mr. Paul van den IJssel, Ambassador for International Organizations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of The Netherlands.
Mr Jan van Zanen, Mayor of The Hague. In his remarks, he mentioned Tobias Asser strongly advocated for the Academy to be located in The Hague. The dissemination of knowledge and the training of new generations of jurists were matters dear to him.
Following a brief musical interlude the following speakers addressed the festive gathering.
Mr Piet Hein Donner, President of the Board of the Academy
H.E. Judge Peter Tomka, Judge at the International Court of Justice
H.E. Judge Hilary Charlesworth, Judge at the International Court of Justice
Mr. Peter Trooboff, Attorney at Law, Member of the Curatorium of the Academy from 1991 to 2019
Mr. Apollin Koagne Zouapet and Ms. Suzanne Zhou, Alumni of the Academy.
On the occasion of the Centenary of The Hague Academy of International Law, the government of the Republic of Guatemala conferred the Orden del Mérito por Servicios Distinguidos, en grado de Gran Cruz, on The Hague Academy of International Law.
H.E. Mr. Mario Adolfo Búcaro Flores, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, presented the paraphernalia appertaining to the distinction to Professor and judge Yves Daudet, president of the curatorial of the Hague Academy.
Professor Yves Daudet, president of the curatorial of the Hague Academy, at the end of the conference, looked hopeful towards the future: “The Academy’s courses will continue to offer students a range of issues and reflections that complement the knowledge acquired at university. By opening themselves to innovative, sometimes ignored and elementary aspects, students will be able to organize their thoughts on a subject whose importance they have realized and learned to love, which is essential to practising the profession well.”
Upon departing, guests received a copy of the reference book 100th Anniversary.
A Reception generously supported by the Embassy of the Republic of Guatemala concluded the celebration of the Centenary of the Hague Academy of International Law.
