Election of Prof. Lucius Caflisch as chairman of the International Law Commission

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11.05.2012

The International Law Commission, a United Nations committee of independent legal experts, has elected Swiss international law professor Lucius Caflisch as its chairman. This election is a mark of recognition of the major contribution of the Swiss member to the work of the Commission. Switzerland accords great importance to this Commission. Compliance and the further development of international law are both priorities of Swiss foreign policy.

The International Law Commission was established shortly after the United Nations was founded. It convenes in Geneva and is composed of 34 independent members elected for five years. Its mandate is to contribute to the continual development and codification of international law. The preparatory work of most of the major multilateral conventions has been carried out by the International Law Commission.  

Prof. Lucius Caflisch has been a member of the Commission since 2006. On 17 November 2011, he was re-elected by the UN General Assembly for a second term. From 1998 to 2006, he was a judge for the Principality of Liechtenstein at the European Court of Human Rights. Previously, he was legal advisor to the FDFA and represented Switzerland at many important international negotiations. Prof. Caflisch taught international law at a number of universities, including the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies in Geneva, where he was dean from 1984 to 1990.

Although in the past Switzerland has produced some internationally renowned experts in international law, Prof. Caflisch is the first Swiss citizen to become a member of the International Law Commission. Switzerland especially welcomes his election to the chair of the Commission for the current session. 

Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Internet: http://www.eda.admin.ch/eda/en/home/recent/media.