The Nicolas Politis Lectures are an annual lecture series given in Athens in memory of Nicolas Politis, a prominent Greek international lawyer and diplomat.
The lectures are given by persons of eminence in the field of international law.
Nicolas-Socrates Politis (1872-1942) was a jurist and diplomat
Between 1896 and 1914 he followed an academic career at the Universities of Paris and Aix. In 1912 he began his career as a diplomat in Greece. He represented Greece in various diplomatic conferences (London (1912), Paris (1913), Bucharest (1913)), he served as Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1914-1916) and as Minister for Foreign Affairs (1916-1920, 1922). He also represented Greece at the Assembly (1920, 1923, 1924) and the Council (1920, 1923, 1924) of the League of Nations, where he chaired the committee on disarmament and was the Special Raporteur on the committee on arbitration. He also served as a representative of Greece to the Paris Peace Conference (1919) and as an ambassador of Greece in Paris and Madrid.
He has also left behind significant scientific work. He authored numerous articles in French journals of public and private international law and has published numerous works on international finances, the Red Cross, the law of war, arbitration and international justice. His seminal works include the "Receuil des arbitrages internationaux", published together with professor A. De Lapradelle, and "La justice internationale".
He was elected as Member of the Institut de droit international in 1904 and as its Vice-President in 1924. He was a member and Vice-President of the Curatorium of the Hague Academy of International Law and a Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.