Introduction

The past few years have seen an upsurge in the number of cases before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) involving the interests of the international community; from disputes involving allegations of state responsibility for international crimes to the advisory proceedings on climate change. The multilateral dimension of these disputes challenges the ICJ’s traditional role of dispensing bilateral justice, at the same time putting the Court in the crossfire of high politics. This raises questions as to how the Court positions itself as the guardian of ‘community interests’ in international law against the backdrop of an increasingly multipolar world.

On 4 September 2024, the Centre for International Law (CIL) will organize a seminar titled ‘The ICJ and “High Politics”: Opportunities and Challenges’ to discuss these salient issues. The seminar will take the format of a panel discussion, with panellists comprising Prof. Martins Paparinskis, Professor of Public International Law at the Faculty of Laws of University College London, Dr. Ntina Tzouvala, Associate Professor at the Australian National University College of Law, and Dr. Massimo Lando, Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law of the University of Hong Kong. The discussion will be moderated by CIL Director, Dr. Nilufer Oral.

About the Speakers

Dr Martins Paparinskis is the Editor-in-Chief of CIL Dialogues and a Global Fellow at CIL. He is Professor of Public International Law at University College London and a member of the International Law Commission. Martins is a generalist international lawyer with a particular interest in international dispute settlement and State responsibility, as well as the specialist fields of investment, human rights, and environmental law. He has represented Latvia before the International Tribunal for the Law of the sea and the ICJ.

Dr Massimo Lando is Editor of CIL Dialogues and a Global Fellow at CIL. He is Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong. Massimo is a generalist public international lawyer, with special interests in international dispute settlement at large, law of the sea and sources of international law. He has been an Associate Legal Officer at the International Court of Justice and is a member of the Bar of England and Wales.

Dr Ntina Tzouvala is Editor of CIL Dialogues and a Global Fellow at CIL. She is Associate Professor at the ANU College of Law. Her work focuses on the history, theory and political economy of international law with a particular interest in jus ad bellum and international economic law.

Dr Nilüfer Oral is Director of the Centre for International Law. She is a member of the International Law Commission where she is co-chair of the study group on sea level rise in relation to international law. She is a member of the Curatorium of The Hague Academy of International Law. She has advised the Foreign Ministry of the Republic of Turkey on matters related to the law of the sea and climate change, and served as a climate change negotiator. She has also appeared before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.