The Inaugural "Nicolas Politis" Lecture was delivered on 23 November 2015 by Professor Emeritus Emmanuel Roucounas. The subject of his lecture was: A Landscape of the Contemporary Theory of International Law
Welcome remarks were given by Professor Dionysia Kallinikou, Dean of the Athens Law School, Professor Charalambos Pamboukis, Director of the Department of International Studies of the Athens Law School and Professor Photini Pazartis, Director of Athens PIL.
Professor of International Law, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1970); Emeritus Professor (2000); President (2005) and Member (since 1997) of the Academy of Athens, Chair of Public International Law; President (2009), First Vice President (2007) and Member of the Institute of International Law (1993); Judge Ad Hoc, International Court of Justice (2009-2011); Member, Permanent Court of Arbitration (2001); United Nations International Law Commission (1985-1991), United Nations Committee for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (1983-1985).
Elected in 2005 by the 46 Member States of the Council of Europe in a small “Group of Wise Persons” with the mandate to make proposals for the future of the European Court of Human Rights.
Appointed by the Secretary-General of the United Nations “Independent Jurist for Western Sahara” (1993-1999).
Member of the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (1983-1985); Group of Experts of the European Union for Central America (1992-1999); Group of Experts of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe for the Balkans (1991-1992); Unesco International Bioethics Committee (1994-2003).
In the Council of Europe, Member and twice Member of the Bureau of the Steering Committee on Human Rights (CDDH) since 1979; Member of various expert committees and observer of the CDDH in the Steering Committee on Bioethics (1993-2005). Rapporteur of the Council of Europe’s Seminar on Human Rights and Terrorism (2005). Member of the Supreme Court of article 100 of the Constitution of Greece (1992-1995) and of the Court of the Judiciary (1991-1993). Member of the Greek delegation in the General Assembly of the United Nations (1980-1999) and in a number of diplomatic conferences, in particular the Diplomatic Conference on Humanitarian Law (1974-1977), the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes) and the World Conferences against Racism and Racial Discrimination.
Director of the Bureau of International and Constitutional Institutions of the Academy of Athens (since 1997).
Lectured at the Universities of Athens, Thessaloniki, Paris I, X and XIII; University College, London; Universities of Aix-en-Provence, Bordeaux and Rouen; Universities of San Sebastian and Castellόn. Institut des Hautes Etudes Internationales (Paris). The Hague Academy of International Law (1987, 1997); In 2008 at the Universities of Baltimore, Berkeley, City University of New York, Yale, Virginia.
Published several books and over 100 articles on General International Law, the Law of Treaties, the Law of the Sea, Human Rights, Humanitarian Law, Bioethics, Diplomatic History, European Unification.