Legal Counsel participates in "International Law Week" events.
6 November 2015

The 2015 "International Law Week" began for the United Nations Legal Counsel, Mr. Serpa Soares, and several Legal Advisers from the capitals of UN Member States already on Sunday, 1 November 2015. The Institute for International Law and Justice at New York University School of Law, with the support of the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, organized a conference in honour of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations to explore the impact of the Organization on the development of international law. Mr. Serpa Soares and Professor José Alvarez of NYU's Law School opened an event that provided an excellent forum for a passionate exchange between academics and scholars of international law, diplomats, legal advisers and representatives of international organizations. This event followed the UN70 conference on 16 October 2015 at Chatham House in London, UK.

On 2 November 2015, Mr. Serpa Soares, delivered the United Nations Legal Counsel's traditional opening keynote address to the 26th Annual Informal Meeting of the Legal Advisers of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of the Member States of the United Nations. This years meeting was organized by Canada and chaired by Mr. William Crosbie, Legal Adviser to the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development of Canada. It covered a wide range of interesting topics.

Over the course of the week, Mr. Serpa Soares held bilateral meetings with a number of Legal Advisers from the capitals around the world. The meetings covered a range of topical issues. In the margins of "International Law Week" the Legal Counsel also received a visit by H.E. Mr. KIM Hyun-woong, Minister of Justice of the Republic of Korea. The Minister seized the opportunity of his visit to United Nations Headquarters New York to deposit instruments of ratification of the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime and its three protocols.

"International Law Week" ended for the Legal Counsel with a visit to Fordham University Law School where the American Branch of the International Law Association (ABILA) and the International Law Student Association (ILSA) presented the "International Law Weekend 2015". In his keynote address, Mr. Serpa Soares highlighted again the Contributions of the United Nations to the development of international law. After his address, Mr. Serpa Soares discussed current international law issues with the audience.