Each year the Hague Academic Coalition (HAC) hosts a Conference in the ‘From Peace to Justice’ Series. The Coalition is a consortium of six academic institutions based in The Hague, the Netherlands, that are all working in the fields of international relations, international law and/or international development.
The theme for the 2007 conference is ‘Culture and International Law’. Culture is an omnipresent factor which strongly influences the formation, development, content and application of law, be it nationally or internationally. Both societal and professional cultures potently determine how one relates to law, to using legal systems for settling claims and/or conflicts, or to transitional justice processes. This may for example have effects on the role and rule of international law within national legal systems, on the interpretation of international norms and on implementation modalities in diverse contexts. Moreover, culture affects the scope and practice of international negotiations and the features of transitional justice mechanisms. To fully understand how the evolution from peace to justice functions, how to end or mitigate conflict, or how to redress adverse consequences of conflict, cultural factors should be taken into consideration.
Therefore, the Fourth Annual Conference of The Hague Academic Coalition focuses on the theoretical and practical application of culture in its relation to the creation and application of international law. It aims to explore one of the leading theories of culture and apply it to different environments and subject areas. Besides, different aspects within the larger theme of culture and international law will be highlighted in parallel sessions. These include the impact of culture and diversity on human rights discourses and practice, including international human rights law, the role of international and national tribunals in the application of law as influenced by a particular cultural setting, the impact of culture on judgements and the protection of cultural property during armed conflict.
Conference documents:
Programme Synopsis
Parallel session T.M.C. Asser Instituut
Parallel session Institute of Social Studies
Parallel session Grotius Centre and Carnegie Foundation
Parallel session Clingendael
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