Professor Malgosia Fitzmaurice presents to Legal Advisors at the United Nations
She was invited by the Permanent Missions of Italy, Spain and Morocco to the United Nations to present a briefing on the work of the Institute of International Law during the 2025 Session of Rabat, during which the Institute of International Law adopted various resolutions and declarations.
This briefing gave an insight into the resolution, inter alia, on Status and Functions of the Conferences or Meetings of Parties to Multilateral Environmental Agreements, on which Professor Fitzmaurice was a Co-Rapporteur (with Madame Bastid).
The Resolution was adopted by the Institute and is available on its website. The Resolution draws on the recent Advisory Opinion of the International Court of Justice on the role of COPs in climate change.
She presented to Permanent Representatives, Deputy Permanent Representatives, Sixth Committee Delegates and Legal Advisors and the session was very well attended in person and online.
Malgosia Fitzmaurice is Professor of Public International Law and Co-Director of the Queen Mary Centre for International Law (CeILa).
The Institute of International Law was founded on 8 September 1873 at the Ghent Town Hall in Belgium. Eleven international lawyers of renown had decided to join together to create an institution independent of any governmental influence which would be able both to contribute to the development of international law and act so that it might be implemented.
In principle, the Institute meets every two years. Between Sessions, Scientific Commissions study themes chosen by the plenary Assembly. The latter receives the work of the Commissions, examines them attentively and if appropriate adopts Resolutions of a normative character. These Resolutions are then brought to the attention of governmental authorities, international organizations as well as the scientific community. In this way, the Institute seeks to highlight the characteristics of the lex lata to promote its respect. Sometimes it makes determinations de lege ferenda to contribute to the development of international law. The Institute has received the Nobel Peace Prize.