) was an international jurist and diplomat.

After obtaining his candidate's degree in economic and social sciences at the University of Geneva

University of Geneva

The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...

 in 1929, he went to the University of Paris

University of Paris

The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...

 to study law. Shortly after his graduation in 1935, he began to teach at its Institut des hautes études internationales and became professor in 1939. Later that same year he volunteered into the French army. During the German invasion of France in 1940, he was taken prisoner and interned in one of the German prisoner-of-war camp

Prisoner-of-war camp

A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...

s. After liberation he came back to the University of Paris, where his doctoral dissertation earned him Prix de thèse for the year 1945. From 1949 to 1961 he was Legal Adviser to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

United Nations Economic Commission for Europe

The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe was established in 1947 to encourage economic cooperation among its member states. It is one of five regional commissions under the administrative direction of United Nations headquarters. It has 56 member states, and reports to the UN Economic and...

 (UNECE), and from 1961 to 1977 - adviser to the United Nations Office at Geneva

United Nations Office at Geneva

The United Nations Office at Geneva is the second-largest of the four major office sites of the United Nations...

 in matters concerning legal aspects of trade, industry and technology transfer.

In different post-war years Kopelmanas lectured at the Centre d'Études de Politique Éntrangère (1948, 1950), Hague Academy of International Law

Hague Academy of International Law

The Hague Academy of International Law is a center for high-level education in both public and private international law housed in the Peace Palace in The Hague, The Netherlands...

 (1950, 1976), Yale University

Yale University

Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...

 (invited professor in 1957-1958), University of Geneva

University of Geneva

The University of Geneva is a public research university located in Geneva, Switzerland.It was founded in 1559 by John Calvin, as a theological seminary and law school. It remained focused on theology until the 17th century, when it became a center for Enlightenment scholarship. In 1873, it...

 (1971–1973), University of Paris

University of Paris

The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...

 (1945–1948, 1960–1962, 1977).

Other positions

• “Secrétaire de la rédaction” of the Revue générale de droit international public (1937–1939).
• Counsel for France before the International Court of Justice
  International Court of Justice
  The International Court of Justice is the primary judicial organ of the United Nations. It is based in the Peace Palace in The Hague, Netherlands...
  
   in the 1948 Admission of a state to the United Nations case.
• “Maître de recherches” at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique
  Centre national de la recherche scientifique
  The National Center of Scientific Research is the largest governmental research organization in France and the largest fundamental science agency in Europe....
  
   (Paris, 1945–1950).
• Deputy Rapporteur of the Study Committee of the First and Second Conferences of Non-Governmental Consultative Organizations (Geneva, 1948–1949).
• Expert representing the United Nations at the First General Assembly of the International Council for Building Documentation (Paris, October 23–28, 1950).
• Observer representing UNECE at the Fifth Conference for the Revision of the International Conventions concerning the Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM) and of Passengers and Luggage by Rail (CIV) (Berne, October 15–25, 1952).
• Observer representing the United Nations at 1955–1956 Geneva Round of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
  The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade was negotiated during the UN Conference on Trade and Employment and was the outcome of the failure of negotiating governments to create the International Trade Organization . GATT was signed in 1947 and lasted until 1993, when it was replaced by the World...
  
  negotiations.
• Representative of the United Nations at the First (Barcelona, September 17–20, 1956) and Second (Rome, October 11–15, 1959) Meetings of the Organizations concerned with the Unification of Law.
• Executive Secretary of the Special Meeting of Plenipotentiaries convened for the purpose of negotiating and signing the European Convention on International Commercial Arbitration (Geneva, April 10–21, 1961).
• Member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (1969–1977).

Selected bibliography

• “L'article XI du Pacte de la Société des Nations,” 42 Revue générale de droit international public (1935).
• “Quelques réflexions au sujet de l'article 38, 3° du Statut de la Cour Permanente de Justice Internationale,” 43 Revue générale de droit international public (1936).
• “Compatibilité de certains décrets lois dantzikois avec la Constitution de la Ville Libre / A propos de l'avis consultatif de la C.P.J.I. du 4 Décembre 1935,” 43 Revue générale de droit international public (1936).
• “Custom as a means of the creation of international law,” 18 British yearbook of international law (1937).
• “The problem of aggression and the prevention of war,” 31 American journal of international law (1937-2).
• De l'ordre juridique déterminant les autorités compétentes pour conclure les traités internationaux. Thèse, Paris, Dactylographié, 1945.
• L’Organisation des Nations Unies. Paris: Recueil Sirey, 1947.
• “L'évolution de l'O.N.U.,” 13 Politique étrangère (1948-V,VI).
• Rapport sur le statut juridique des organisations internationales non-gouvernementales (1949).
• “Le contrôle international,” 77 Recueil des cours / Académie de droit international (1950–II).
• “La codification des coutumes du commerce international dans le cadre des commissions régionales des Nations Unies,” 1 Annuaire français de droit international (1955).
• “La reconnaissance en droit international,” IX Comunicazioni e studi (1957).
• “La pensée de Georges Scelle et ses possibilités d'application à quelques problèmes récents de droit international,” 88 Journal du droit international (Clunet), (1960-II).
• “La place de la convention européenne sur l'arbitrage commercial international du 21 avril 1961 dans l'evolution du droit international de l'arbitrage,” 7 Annuaire français de droit international (1961).
• “Le rôle des règlements d'arbitrage dans le développement des procédures arbitrales applicables au règlement de litiges commerciaux à caractère international,” 21 Annuaire français de droit international ( 1975).
• “L'application du droit national aux sociétés multinationales,” 150 Recueil des cours / Académie de droit international (1976–II).