For the first time ever in India, NALSAR University of Law is hosting the 78th Session of Institut de Droit International (Institute of International Law) (IDI) from September 3-10, 2017. This is a unique opportunity for NALSAR to host altogether nearly 60 celebrated scholars and practitioners of international law coming from all over the world. The Institute has on its agenda very important subjects of international law governing the working and decisions of the UN Security Council, legal problems arising from mass migration, investment disputes, and law governing provisional measures in disputes before tribunals, among others. The Institute has over several decades made major contribution to the restatement and revision of both public and private international law. It dealt with such areas as UN Chapter law, use of force, self-defence, environment, human rights and international humanitarian law. The work of the Institute is also notable in the field of harmonization and unification of private international law governing private and commercial interests of individuals and corporations involving conflict of laws and multiple and sometimes conflicting jurisdictions.
In connection with the 78th Session, NALSAR would be receiving some 60 leading international law scholars and practitioners. We will have three judges of the International Court of Justice, two judges of the World Bank Administrative Tribunal, a Member of the UN Yugoslavia Tribunal, a former President of the International Criminal Court, former judges of different international tribunals attending the session at Hyderabad. Several other members of the Institute, who are professors and practitioners of the world’s renowned Universities who incidentally acted or acting as judges or arbitrators in several international cases involving different States including India, will be joining them. Among them mention may be made of three Indian members which includes, Dr.P.S.Rao, Former Legal Advisor of India, Chairman of International Law Commission, Judge ad hoc of International Court of Justice, Prof. Yogesh Tagi, Vice-Chancellor, Delhi University and Prof. B.S.Chimni, Chairperson, Centre for International Legal Studies(CILS) at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Judge Nagendra Singh, Former President of ICJ and Prof.R.P.Anand, a leading Professor of International Law in the post independent India also served as members of the Institute. Prof. V.S.Mani, another senior Indian scholar of international law was honoured with election as a member in 2015.
The Institute meeting at Hyderabad is historic for India for two additional notable reasons: One, it is meeting under the first ever Presidency of an Indian Member, Dr. Pemmaruju Sreenivasa Rao (Dr. P.S.Rao). Secondly, the Institute is meeting for the first time in India in its long history of nearly 150 years. Incidentally, the Institute met only once before in Asia in 2013 in Japan; only twice before outside Europe, once in Egypt (Africa) and later in 2007 in Chile (Latin America). This meeting at NALSAR University of Law, Hyderabad signifies the important role India is playing at the international level in promoting the objectives of justice and peace, the main mission incidentally of the Institute since 1873.
The inaugural programme is scheduled to be held on Sunday, 3rd September, 2017 at 4.00 p.m. His Excellency Shri M. Venkaiah Naidu, Vice-President of India has consented to be the Chief Guest at the inaugural session.
