[Editor's Note: the author of the following fax is a former Ambassador. He has requested that I forward this suggestion anonymously. Although I have never published an anonymous Letter to the Editor, I know the author quite well--and concur with his reason for requesting anonymity. I have made some very minor editorial changes.]

28 November 1996 [via Fax]

Dear William:

Thanks for your Newsletter from the Interest Group on the United Nations Decade for International Law. It is worrying to realize how some U.S. Legislator[s] can adhere to HR2535.

It would be great if the UN DECADE Interest Group could, through ASIL, in its capacity of an NGO, promote the establishment, in New York City of an annual summer course--of two or three weeks--in International Law, much in the style of, and drawing from experiences of, the Hague Academy of International Law and the International Law Commission Summer seminar in Geneva.

Why, Why, should courses falling within the guidelines of the U.N. Programme for Assistance in the Teaching, Dissemination and Wider Appreciation of International Law only take place in Europe? Do you not think New York is a natural center for an international law course, which could incidentally provide valuable academic credits to interested U.S. Law Students? Was it not an American Foundation that provided funds for the Hague Seminar (Carnegie Endowment)? Can not another (or the same) foundation likewise form a N.Y. academic headquarters for international law? It would be a nice initiative from the Interest Group to crown the end of the United Nations Decade of International Law.

LETTER IN SUPPORT (of the above Proposal)

[From the Editor: As a result of a decision made at an annual business meeting of the UNDIG, each issue of our Newsletter carries this familiar listing of decade objectives. It thus serves as a constant reminder about one of the important reasons for our existence.] The UN Decade has four essential objectives:

• promoting acceptance of the substantive principles of International Law;
  
• promoting peaceful settlement of disputes, including greater use of the International Court of Justice (ICJ);
  
• encouraging progressive development of International Law and its codification;
  
• encouraging the teaching, study, dissemination, and wider acceptance of Inter- national Law.
  

Our UN Decade Interest Group will meet on Friday, April 11, 1997 at 8:00 AM (room will be in your registration pack when you arrive). Our proposed agenda is as follows (contact me if you would like items added to this agenda):

1. Presentation by Claire M. Germain:Professor, author, and now the Edward Cornell Law Librarian at Cornell Law School (after a number of years at Duke Law School). She has not only "wired" our UNDIG group--as announced in the Message from the Editor. Claire has also managed to create the website that contains opinions from the International Court of Justice. She will talk about that experience, and what it means to all of us, when we convene in Washington, DC.

2. 1998 ASIL Annual Meeting Panel: We will probably be called upon to present a panel to discuss the work of the UN Decade of International Law, what has been accomplished, could be done in the future, etc. PLEASE be thinking, between now and that meeting on April 11th, whom you would recommend as members of the anticipated 1998 panel--and what subjects they might cover.

3. Discussion of Letter to the Editor (this issue): a former Ambassador has suggested that we consider whether to find funds and establish a New York version of the Hague Academy of International Law Course, taught each summer at The Hague. I should tell you that between being the Chair and Editor for this group, it would be rather difficult to seriously explore this suggestion without a working committee. I will provide some background details, when we meet.

4. Member Suggestions on Other Courses of Action: in the event that the UNDIG does not embrace the proposal suggested in #3 immediately above, we need to discuss our future course of action. Here are a few issues that occur to me at this time:

• Should we continue the work of this group after the close of the UN Decade?
• If so, what should we choose as our focus (UN Decade, other, both)?
• Are there any other programs that we should be considering?