Professor and Dean Emeritus Claudio Grossman Elected Chair of the Drafting Committee of the International Law Commission
May 2, 2019
Professor and Dean Emeritus Claudio Grossman was elected by acclamation Chair of the Drafting Committee of the International Law Commission (ILC) on Monday, April 29 in Geneva, Switzerland.
The ILC is composed of 34 jurists, representing the world’s legal cultures, elected in secret ballot by the General Assembly of the UN. The ILC is trusted with the codification and progressive development of International Law. Most of the building blocks of current international law have been the result of its contribution.
As Chair of the Drafting Committee, Grossman will preside over the process of negotiation, drafting, adoption and presentation of the Commission’s work to the UN. Current topics in this Commission’s session include: Peremptory Norms of International Law, Provisional Application of Treaties, Protection of the Atmosphere, a draft Convention on Crimes against Humanity, Exceptions to Immunity of Jurisdiction. Fourteen AUWCL students will benefit from Grossman’s membership in ILC and assist in the commission’s program upon completion of their summer session abroad.
Grossman served as AUWCL dean from 1995 to July 2016. He was appointed Dean Emeritus by American University's (AU) Board of Trustees in recognition of over two decades of commitment, dedication and distinction. Throughout his academic career, Grossman has contributed to promoting the rule of law, human rights and legal education in both international and domestic organizations. He is a former chair of the Human Rights Treaty bodies of the UN, the Committee Against Torture of the UN and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. Grossman was consistently recognized as one of the top 25 most influential people in legal education, has received numerous awards for his work in human rights and international law, and is the author of numerous publications concerning legal education, international law, human rights.