On 8 July 1996, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) handed down its Advisory Opinion on the legality of the threat or use of nuclear weapons. It was the first authoritative international judicial opinion on nuclear weapons since their development in the 1940s. Moreover, it is generally considered one of the most important opinions that the ICJ has delivered.
In spite of the, sometimes, controversial conclusions drawn by the, lowest possible, majority of Judges, it functions as an important reference for civil society in its work towards the elimination of nuclear weapons.
Leading international lawyers and activists, professors of international law and experts on arms control and disarmament law will discuss the importance of the Opinion and its relevance for the present day struggle towards nuclear disarmament. The webinar will also address more recent developments, such as the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and the General Comment no. 36 on the right to life of the UN Human Rights Committee. Finally, it will address the question of what lessons can be drawn from the opinion regarding achievement of a world without nuclear weapons.
Program 8 July 2021:
1st Session
Looking Back: General Discussion of the Advisory Opinion
5 pm CEST
Opening and Introductory Remarks
Phon van den Biesen, Attorney at Law in Amsterdam, Co-President IALANA
5.10
UK Nuclear Policy and the Nuclear Weapons Advisory Opinion
Christine Chinkin, Emeritus Professor of International Law, London School of Economics (LSE)
5.25
Q and A
5.35
The Legal Effect of Advisory Opinions
Paolo Palchetti, Professor of International Law, Université de Paris (Sorbonne 1)
5.50
Q and A
6.00
General Observations
Peter Weiss, President Emeritus IALANA
6.10
The World Court Project
Alyn Ware, Former Executive Director, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy; Global Coordinator, Parliamentarians for Nuclear Non-Proliferation and Disarmament
6.20
Video Message from Hiroshima
Takeya Sasaki, Co-president IALANA
6.30
BREAK
2nd Session
Looking Ahead: Current and Future Trends
6.45 CEST
Opening and Introductory Remarks
John Burroughs, Senior Analyst, Lawyers Committee on Nuclear Policy, and Vice President IALANA
6.55
Nuclear Weapons and Human Rights
Daniel Rietiker, International Law Lecturer, Lausanne University, Co-President IALANA
7.10
Observations re Previous Presentation
Manfred Mohr, Professor of International Law, Board Member IALANA Germany
7.15
Q and A
7.25
Video Message from JALANA
Kenichi Okubo, President JALANA
7.35
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
Amela Skiljan, Vice-chair of IALANA Germany, PhD candidate
7.45
Q and A
7.55
Closing Remarks
Phon van den Biesen
8.00 CEST
End of Webinar