ILA Biennial Conference in The Hague, August 15-20, 2010

The International Law Association’s 2010 Biennial Conference, “De Iure Humanitatis: Peace, Justice, and International Law” takes place August 15-20 in The Hague.  Early reduced-fee registration ends tomorrow, May 15. It looks to be a great program, hosted by the Dutch Branch of ILA, with some fun side events in and around The Hague.  (You may even see a couple of the OJ regulars in attendance!)  Here is a full description via Professor John Noyes, President of the American Branch of ILA:

Every two years the International Law Association stages a major biennial conference that brings together the leading international lawyers, international law academics, and members of governments and international organizations from around the world. The biennial conferences provide a venue for working and open sessions of the ILA’s numerous committees, and also offer numerous panels and speakers on topics of public and private international law. The 2010 conference, hosted by the Dutch Branch of the ILA, will be held from August 15-20 in the historic city of The Hague. Registration for the 2010 Conference has already begun. The registration fee for members is €650 between May 1 and July 1; the fee increases to €750 after July 1. In order to find more detailed information and to register for the conference and book your hotel, visit the official conference website at http://www.ila2010.org.

The Hague, with a population of almost 500,000, hosts many international organizations, mostly of a judicial nature. These include the International Court of Justice and the Permanent Court of Arbitration, both of which are housed at the Peace Palace. The Hague is also home to the International Criminal Court, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, which is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention.

“De Iure Humanitatis: Peace, Justice, and International Law,” the 74th Conference of the International Law Association, also marks the 100th anniversary of the Dutch Branch of the ILA. The conference will be held on the campus of The Hague University, with a formal opening session on the morning of Monday, August 16. During the conference, ILA members will be able to share knowledge, ideas, and insights with hundreds of peers from around the globe. There will be numerous study groups and sessions addressing a wide variety of international issues, from climate change, to the role of religion in international law, to the future role of international law in outer space, to international arbitration.

Evenings will provide registrants the option of either attending organized social events or striking out on their own. The first evening of the conference will feature a reception at Haagse Hogeschool—The Hague University. This famous campus, known especially for its magnificent glass-domed atrium hall, is entirely surrounded by water and designed to resemble a city within a city. On the evening of Wednesday, August 18, the ILA will have a gala dinner at Ridderzaal, or the Knights Hall, which is a 13th-century gothic manor house located beside a lake and used today for royal receptions and interparliamentary conferences. Finally, on August 19th there will be a reception at the Peace Palace—often referred to as the seat of international law because it houses the International Court of Justice, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague Academy of International Law, and an extensive library.

The final event (which must be booked and paid for separately) is a guided tour of Holland’s largest national park, the famous Kröller Müller museum, and a medieval castle. The tour will first head through Holland’s largest national park, De Hoge Veluwe. Next will be a visit to the Kröller Müller museum, which exhibits fine 19th and 20th-century art, including a world famous collection of work by Van Gogh, and an exceptional collection of modern sculptures. After lunch, the tour will conclude with a visit to Slot Loevestein, a 14th-century fortress located in a region of rivers and scenic beauty.