| Foreign Affairs Seeks Canadian Engagement with ILC |
|
|
|
Foreign Affairs Seeks to Enhance Canadian Engagement with the Work of the International Law Commission In 2006, Canada successfully promoted the candidature of Professor Donald McRae of the University of Ottawa's Faculty of Common Law for election to the International Law Commission. The International Law Commission, an expert body within the United Nations system whose efforts and activities contribute to the codification and progressive development of international law. As a member of the International Law Commission, Professor McRae participates in his independent capacity. He is the third Canadian to hold such a position. In recognition of Professor McRae's participation in the work of the International Law Commission, the Legal Affairs Bureau of the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) wishes to enhance Canada's current engagement with the work of the Commission, including its studies and recommendations. The Commission's current five-year work programme for 2007-2011 includes the following topics: reservations to treaties, shared natural resources, expulsion of aliens, effects of armed conflicts on treaties, responsibility of international organizations, and the obligation to extradite or prosecute (aut dedere aut judicare). The Commission will also be embarking on studies on the protection of persons in the event of disasters and the immunity of State officials from foreign criminal jurisdiction, with the most-favoured-nation clause being a potential topic of future study. (Further information can be found at: http://www.un.org/law/ilc/) Given the variety of topics considered by the Commission, and our desire to enhance Canadian engagement with the Commission's work, we would be delighted to hear from Canadian legal academics and practitioners who are following the Commission's work, whether in total or with respect to a specific topic. We encourage scholars who are already engaged and interested in the work of the Commission to identify themselves to the Legal Affairs Bureau at DFAIT. Kindly send an email with your name, contact details, and areas of specific interest in relation to the ILC's current work programme (emails can be sent to This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ). It is our hope that future partnership and outreach activities could arise with those identified by this initial canvas of the Canadian legal academy and professionals who are engaged in research related to the ILC's current areas of study. |