LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT

Dear members,

The European Society of International Law continues to make progress.

It is now more than six years since the society was founded in Florence in May 2004. Since then, there have been annual ESIL events, with a ‘tradition’ of Biennial Conferences and Research Forums in alternate years. The Biennial Conferences in Paris in 2006 and in Heidelberg in 2008 were very well attended, with about 400 participants at each event, and the enthusiastic collaboration between younger and more senior scholars and international law practitioners led to stimulating intelligent debate. The ESIL Research Forums, in Geneva in 2005, Budapest in 2007, and Helsinki in 2009 were also very successful events.

The next big ESIL event, the Biennial Conference in Cambridge on 2-4 September 2010, is fast approaching. Registration is now open and, looking at the number of registrations to date, it is already clear that the conference will attract a large audience. Once again the ESIL Interest Groups will meet prior to the conference.

I would like to draw the attention of ESIL members to the elections which will take place during the Cambridge Conference, in order to renew our governing bodies. According to the ESIL Constitution, all ESIL members can nominate candidates. Two ESIL members must support the nomination. Nominations, including a c.v. and a statement that the nominee approves the nomination, should be sent by e-mail to the Administrative Director, Ms. Joyce Davies, by 4th June 2010. The rules of procedure for the election of the members of the Board are available on this website: http://www.esil-sedi.eu/english/bylaws.html

As announced previously, the Executive Board met in Paris on 5- 6 March 2010. Dr Mario Prost was chosen as the new Executive Director, and I welcome him in his new post. The Board also examined the Calvo-Goller vs globallawbooks case and has endorsed a joint statement which can be read below. The Board also worked on the organisation of the next ESIL Research Forum which will be held in Tallinn on 27-28 May 2011 and, last but not least, debated the new initiatives which ESIL intends to launch very soon, such as the ESIL Lecture Series and the ESIL Working Papers series.

One of the advantages of being such a young society, founded only six years ago, is that the society is open to new ideas and initiatives. All members are encouraged to approach any of the Board members to discuss any thoughts they may have for the future of the society.

Hélène Ruiz Fabri

JOINT STATEMENT OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD ON THE CALVO-GOLLER CASE (Paris, 6 March 2010)

The Executive Board of the European Society of International Law expresses its concern that the case Calvo-Goller v. globallawbooks has been brought to a criminal court.

The Board is convinced that the book review which is the subject of this law suit is well within the scope of regular academic discourse.

The Board wishes to underline that critique is the essence of scholarship, and is indeed a necessary feature of the work of academics and scholars. Therefore differences in assessment of academic matters should not be subject to criminal proceedings.

Endorsed by: Hélène Ruiz Fabri (President), Francesco Francioni (Vice-President), Anne Peters (Vice-President), Thomas Skouteris (Secretary-General), Mariano Aznar Gomez, Laurence Boisson de Chazournes, Andrea Bianchi, James Crawford, Barbara Delcourt, Vera Gowlland Debbas, Jan Klabbers, Nico Krisch, Lauri Mälksoo, Boldizsar Nagy, August Reinisch, Iain Scobbie, Bruno Simma, Rüdiger Wolfrum.