ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING (UN DECADE GROUP)

• Correspondence with the UN: At the request of Marilou Righini (Editor of the Society's publication International Legal Materials) and the direction of the "steering committee" (those present at the annual business meeting of the UN Decade Interest Group, the Chair directed a letter to the UN Sales Office shortly after the close of the Washington conference. The gist of this letter was to request that the 1996 decision of the UN Department of Information, to exclude UN Press Releases and Daily Highlights from its electronic information cites, be reconsidered. The text of this letter is as follows:
  
  April 9, 1996
  
  Mr. Joseph Sills
  United Nations Information Office
  1775 K Street, NW
  Washington, DC 20006
  
  Dear Mr. Sills:
  
  This letter requests that the United Nations reconsider its recent decision to exclude current UN Press Releases and Daily Highlights from its electronic information sites.
  
  I am writing this letter on behalf of the United Nations Decade Interest Group (UNDIG) within the American Society of International Law, headquartered in Washington, DC. While we have no political affiliation, we have communicated with various senators and other public figures regarding issues of concern to those working to support the UN. At our annual business meeting in Washington on March 28th, I was thus directed by my UNDIG steering committee to write to you.
  
  We are not unaware of the financial pressures caused by the dues arrearages of certain UN members. It is not clear, however, why information already input into word processing format could not be readily exported into the Internet. We also fear that should the UN decline to provide this service, that other secondary/tertiary providers might attempt to do what the UN would do best.
  
  If there is any information that my group can provide, in support of this request, please contact me at the above address.
  
  Very truly yours,
  
  William R. Slomanson, Chair
  American Society of International Law
  United Nations Decade Interest Group
  
  [ Note: The ASIL awaits the final decision on this request. ]
  
  
• Hague Steering Conference: The presence of the Deputy Secretary General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (Ms. Bette Shifman) inspired the discussion of the first item of the agenda mailed to members before the meeting--Defining our UNDIG Objectives. The Interest Group thus decided to work to assist the PCOA Steering Committee, as needed, to facilitate a conference in 1999 in The Hague to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Hague Peace Conference in 1899.
  
  
• Scholarship Clearinghouse Abandoned: The UNDIG decided to relinquish last year's directive, designed to encourage young scholars to use the UNDIG as a clearing house for scholarly works in progress. The formation of the new interest group on International Legal Education suggested that the UNDIG transfer this possible avenue for developing the Decade's scholarly objectives to another interest group.
  
  
• Lectures to Non-Lawyers Mandate: The UNDIG retained last year's mandate--whereby each member is encouraged to lecture, at least once per year, to non-lawyer groups such as university or high school audiences and civic groups on the work of the ASIL and the objectives of the UN Decade on International Law. Members are to contact Professor Slomanson (see locating info on page one of this Newsletter), so that he can chronicle developments for a future newsletter.
  
  
• Election: The UNDIG also re-elected Professor William Slomanson as the Chair for the upcoming year.
  
  
• Panel Presentations: The highlight of this year's UNDIG meeting was the presentations by Ms. Bette Shifman, Deputy Secretary General of the Permanent Court of Arbitration (The Hague) and Peter Weiss, Chairperson of the Lawyer's Committee on Nuclear Policy (headquartered in New York).
  
  
• Proposed Regional Meetings: Our former Chair suggested that we continue to explore the possibility of hosting regional meetings on subjects of interest to the UN Decade of International Law. Although US law school resources continue to dwindle, it would be possible to undertake this suggestion if one or more of you are willing to act as a subcommittee to survey possible meeting sites. Please advise if you have specific suggestions or resources.
  
  
• Panel Presentations: DSC Shifman gave a sparkling address on the role of the PCOA as a mechanism for resolving commercial disputes, and its role in assisting the "1999 Steering Committee" to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the first Hague Peace Conference in 1899. Through the work of the PCOA, there will hopefully be an international conference--possibly resembling the March 1995 UN Congress on International Law in New York. She kindly offered to keep the ASIL's UNDIG informed on this and other developments related to the UN Decade of International Law.
  
  Lawyer Peter Weiss presented an overview of the ICJ proceedings regarding the World Health Organization's request for an advisory opinion on the legality of using nuclear weapons--possibly the court's most important ruling that will be issued during the UN Decade of International Law. Mr. Weiss represented the Malaysian Delegation in the WHO proceedings. He related the circumstances and importance of the hearings earlier this year. (An opinion has not been issued, as of the date this Newsletter was sent to the publisher.)
  
  

  

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  Copyright 1997 American Society of International Law