This year, The Hague Prize for International Law will be awarded to Professor Sir Elihu Lauterpacht, and Egyptian Professor Georges Abi Saab.
Since 2002, the prize is awarded every two years to individuals or organisations that have made an outstanding contribution to the development of public or private international law or to the advancement of the rule of law in the world. Amongst others, previous recipients include Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to international criminal law and Professor Paul Lagarde, for his commitment to the Hague Conference on Private International Law.
In 2009, the prize was awarded to Rosalyn Higgins, former President of the International Court of Justice, in the presence of her majesty Queen Beatrix. For the first time since its establishment, two recipients of the prize are selected. Professor Georges Abi Saab (1933) is currently Professor of International Law at the Graduate Institute of International and Development studies in Geneva. He owes the award due to his distinguished career as an academic, author, counsellor and speaker, in which he has inspired several generations. Moreover, the prize rewards him for his efforts as a judge and arbitrator in many international disputes, such as the border dispute between Egypt and Israel (Taba). Furthermore, Abi Saab is well known by his modern Third World perspective on international law and as an advocate of human rights.
Professor Sir Elihu Lauterpacht (1928) conducted pioneering research in the field of international law, which has shaped dozens of international top lawyers. Additionally, he contributed substantially to the development of international law and its dissemination through the so called International Law Reports.
Lauterpacht built up a research centre for international law at the University of Cambridge, the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law. Against the background of the centenary of the Peace Palace, a universal institution, the jury headed by Prof. Dr. Nico Schrijver decided to award the prize to two highly qualified candidates from different parts of the world for their considerable personal contributions. The award ceremony will be held at The Hague Peace Palace on June 27th.