CYIL vol. 14 (2023)

CYIL 14 (2023) NOT JUST ANOTHER DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE: A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION … NOT JUST ANOTHER DIPLOMATIC CONFERENCE: A SUCCESSFUL CONCLUSION OF THE MLA INITIATIVE AND THE WAY FORWARD Emil Ruffer 1 Abstract: This contribution focuses on the Diplomatic Conference to discuss and adopt the text of the Ljubljana-The Hague Convention on International Cooperation in the Investigation and Prosecution of the Crime of Genocide, Crimes against Humanity, War Crimes and Other Crimes under International Law (hereinafter as the “MLA Convention”), which was held in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from 15 to 26 May 2023. We shall briefly reiterate where it all started, how it went in Ljubljana and what is still ahead of us, also taking into account the context of the legal order of the Czech Republic with respect to the signature and ratification of the MLA Convention. Resumé: Tento příspěvek je zaměřen na Diplomatickou konferenci k projednání a přijetí textu Lublaň-Haagské Úmluvy o mezinárodní spolupráci při vyšetřování a stíhání zločinu genocidia, zločinů proti lidskosti, válečných zločinů a jiných zločinů podle mezinárodního práva (dále jen „Úmluva MLA“), která se konala ve dnech 15. až 26. května 2023 v Lubla ni. Stručně připomeneme, kde to vše začalo, jak to proběhlo v Lublani a co je stále ještě před námi, se zohledněním kontextu právního řádu ČR ve vztahu k podpisu a ratifikaci Úmluvy MLA. Key Words: Mutual legal assistance, diplomatic conference, international crimes, crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, crime of aggression, extradition, transfer of sentenced persons, execution of sentences, United Nations, Sixth Committee of the General Assembly, International Law Commission About the Author : JUDr. Emil Ruffer, Ph.D. was born in Prague in 1974. Graduated from the Charles University, Faculty of Law, in 2001. He also read English and American Literature at the Charles University, Faculty of Arts. From 1996 to 1997 he studied European Law and Politics at Cardiff Law School under the Tempus (PHARE) programme; for the academic year 2000-2001 he received Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship for studies of European and International Public Law at the Humboldt University in Berlin. In 2007 he received Ph.D. from the Charles University, Faculty of Law upon completing research in the area of legal aspects of EU external relations, which is one his fields of specialisation. In 2011 he spent 6 months as a Visiting Fulbright Scholar at Fordham Law School in New York. He has been working in the EU Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic since 2003 and as its director from 2008 to 2016. From 2016 to 2021 he was posted to Strasbourg as the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the Council of Europe. Subsequently, he was appointed the Director of the International Law Department, which is his current position.

1 The author is the Director of the International Law Department at the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and participated as the Alternate Head of Delegation at the Ljubljana Diplomatic Conference. The views expressed in this contribution are, nevertheless, attributable solely to the author and neither represent an official position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs nor bind this institution in any manner.

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