Conference: Inspiration and Innovation in International Law and Politics

This Friday, December 9, 2011, the T.M.C. Asser Instituut will host a conference on "Inspiration and Innovation in International Law and Politics." The program is here. Here's the idea:

The conference marks the 100th anniversary of the receipt of the Nobel Peace Prize by the Dutch lawyer, Mr. Tobias Asser. Asser was the first, and until now the only, Dutch citizen to be honoured with this prestigious prize. Asser was a pragmatic lawyer who, in his day, participated in and contributed to numerous developments in the then rising ‘internationalisation’ of the world. Economic and technological developments caused many cross border activities that had to be regulated, not only by state actors, but increasingly also by non-state actors. These developments asked for daring initiatives by creative, innovative and sometimes unconventional thinkers and doers. Asser was such a person.

The aim of the conference is to reflect on Asser’s legal and political heritage and at the same time to address the lessons to be learned from Asser in dealing with contemporary global challenges.