ESIL Secretariat

About ESIL

The Academy of European Law hosts the Secretariat of the European Society of International Law (ESIL). One of the AEL Directors, Prof. Joanne Scott, is a member of the Board of the Society.

The European Society of International Law is a dynamic network of researchers, scholars and practitioners in the field of international law. The Society’s goals are to contribute to the rule of law in international relations and to promote the study of international law.

The process of creating ESIL began in 2001 in response to the need for a general European network to bring together and to develop deeper understanding among people in the field of international law, including academics, researchers, students, lawyers, judges, government officials, diplomats, legal advisers, and so on. Since the inaugural meeting in 2004 in Florence, the Society has provided a forum for the exchange and promotion of new ideas, and ESIL events continue to illustrate the breadth and range of members’ interests and activities.

ESIL Events

ESIL events take place all over Europe. Since its inauguration in 2004, there has been a major ESIL event each year: Florence (2004), Geneva (2005), Paris (2006), Budapest (2007), Heidelberg (2008), Helsinki (2009), Cambridge (2010), Tallinn (2011), Valencia (2012), Amsterdam (2013), Vienna (2014), Oslo (2015), Riga (2016), Naples (2017) and Manchester (2018).

Future Annual Conferences will be held in Athens (2019) and Stockholm (2020).

Now that ESIL holds annual conferences, the Research Forum has been re-launched as a scholarly conference which promotes engagement with research in progress by members of the Society. The ESIL Research Forum targets in particular scholars at an early stage of their careers, especially advanced PhD students and post-doctoral researchers. Past Research Forums were held in Florence (2015), Istanbul (2016) Granada (2017) and Jerusalem (2018). The 2019 Research Forum will be held in Gottingen.

In addition, the Society organises a range of joint events with different European institutions, such as the European Court of Human Rights, the Court of Justice of the EU, and universities throughout Europe. 

ESIL Membership

Membership is open to all those with an interest in international law; no limitations of nationality or professional qualifications apply. To join, visit the ESIL website and click on ‘JOIN ESIL’. To date, the Society has attracted more than 3,000 members from over 100 countries, and membership continues to expand throughout all five continents.

As well as regular members, the Society is pleased to welcome an increasing number of institutional members and lifetime members whose continued support is much appreciated.

The activities of the Society have been generously funded from the outset by the Academy of European Law, and strongly supported by the Board and staff of the European Journal of International Law. This continuing support is a valuable contribution to the future of the Society.

ESIL is an active and fast-growing Society. There are several advantages in joining, not least the chance to become part of a distinctively European network of international lawyers. Other benefits include:

• Full participation in ESIL events, with reduced registration fees
• Eligibility to set up or join ESIL Interest Groups and to participate in their activities
• An online subscription to the European Journal of International Law (four issues per year)
• Quarterly Newsletters, regular ESIL Reflections (online articles), and monthly e-mail ESIL Updates about the activities of the Society
• The chance to post announcements on the Society’s website
• Participation in the Society by standing for office or by electing the Board of the Society

ESIL Board 

ESIL Executive Committee

• Luis M. Hinojosa-Martinez, President
• Pierre d'Argent, Fulvio M. Palombino, and Photini Pazartzis,Vice-Presidents
• Veronika Bilkova, Secretary General

Board Members

• Christina Binder 
• Paolo D. Farah
• Gleider Hernandez
• Maria Issaeva
• Evelyne Schmid
• Joanne Scott
• Anne van Aaken
• Philippa Webb
• Ramses A. Wessel
• Pal Wrange
• Ganna Yudkivska

ESIL Staff

• Joyce Davies, Administrative Director
• Valentina Spiga, Administrative Assistant 

Past Presidents of the Society

• 2014 - 2017: Andre Nollkaemper
• 2012 – 2014: Laurence Boisson de Chazournes
• 2010 – 2012: Anne Peters
• 2006 – 2010: Hélène Ruiz Fabri
• 2004 – 2006: Bruno Simma