Signing Ceremony Held Between the French Embassy in the Netherlands and the Academy

At a ceremony held on 18 October 2024 at the Peace Palace, H.E. François Alabrune, Ambassador of France to the Netherlands, presented the Academy with a very substantial voluntary contribution of 75,000 euros, enabling the Academy to finance the holding of the Moot Court competition before the International Criminal Court, in partnership with the Court, as well as legal French courses, in partnership with the Alliance Française.

Ambassador Alabrune welcomed France’s support for the Academy, which also takes the form of a scholarship program and participation in the Academy’s annual Side Event during the International Law Week at the United Nations. He stressed that French is a structuring language of international law and its practice, and that it is important that it should find its place in the work of the Academy. He congratulated the Academy and its Secretariat on their high-quality work in the service of international law teaching, and on their dynamism.

The Secretary-General warmly thanked his host and France for this remarkable effort. He recalled France’s historic support for the Academy, and welcomed the fact that it had increased substantially in recent years. This considerable and lasting effort will enable the Academy to continue in the best possible conditions some of its activities of specific interest to the French-speaking world, and will in particular make it possible to finance the visit to The Hague of young jurists from Africa, Lebanon and Cambodia, to take part in the Moot Court competition before the International Criminal Court.