Rüdiger Wolfrum
Encyclopedia
Rüdiger Wolfrum is professor of international law
at the University of Heidelberg School of Law
and Director of the Heidelberg Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law
. Wolfrum is a justice in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
since 1996, serving as president of the court from 2005 to 2008.
from 1964 to 1969. Passing his first state exam
on January 18, 1969, he earned a SJD in International Law in 1973. Wolfrum served as Vice President of the German Research Foundation
from 1996 to 2002, and as Vice President of the Max Planck Society
from 2002 to 2006. In 1996, he was appointed Justice at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
; from 2005 to 2008 he has served as its president. Mr. Wolfrum is President of the German Society for International Law, and he has also been a member of numerous national and international councils and academies, such as the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
and the Institut de Droit International
. Besides his numerous offices, he currently instructs the High Justices of Afghanistan
and Sudan
, and he acts as a United Nations
mediator in the Darfur conflict
. He holds honorary degrees of the Russian Academy of Sciences
, of the Mongolian Shihutug Law College, and of the University of Hamburg
. In 2008, he was awarded the Great Cross of Merit
of the Federal Republic of Germany.
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
at the University of Heidelberg School of Law
Heidelberg University Faculty of Law
The University of Heidelberg Faculty of Law , located in Heidelberg, Germany, is one of the original four constituent faculties of the University of Heidelberg...
and Director of the Heidelberg Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law
Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law
The Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law is a legal research institute located in Heidelberg, Germany. It is operated by the Max Planck Society...
. Wolfrum is a justice in the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an intergovernmental organization created by the mandate of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. It was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, signed at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on December 10, 1982...
since 1996, serving as president of the court from 2005 to 2008.
Life
After his military duty, he studied law at the universities of Tübingen and BonnUniversity of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
from 1964 to 1969. Passing his first state exam
Staatsexamen
The ' is a German government licensing examination that future doctors, teachers, pharmacists, food chemists and jurists have to pass to be allowed to work in their profession. The examination is generally organized by government examination agencies which are under the authority of the...
on January 18, 1969, he earned a SJD in International Law in 1973. Wolfrum served as Vice President of the German Research Foundation
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
The Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft is an important German research funding organization and the largest such organization in Europe.-Function:...
from 1996 to 2002, and as Vice President of the Max Planck Society
Max Planck Society
The Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....
from 2002 to 2006. In 1996, he was appointed Justice at the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an intergovernmental organization created by the mandate of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. It was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, signed at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on December 10, 1982...
; from 2005 to 2008 he has served as its president. Mr. Wolfrum is President of the German Society for International Law, and he has also been a member of numerous national and international councils and academies, such as the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination
The International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination is a United Nations convention. A second-generation human rights instrument, the Convention commits its members to the elimination of racial discrimination and the promotion of understanding among all races...
and the Institut de Droit International
Institut de droit international
The Institut de droit international is an organization devoted to the study and development of international law, whose membership comprises the world's leading public international lawyers...
. Besides his numerous offices, he currently instructs the High Justices of Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
and Sudan
Sudan
Sudan , officially the Republic of the Sudan , is a country in North Africa, sometimes considered part of the Middle East politically. It is bordered by Egypt to the north, the Red Sea to the northeast, Eritrea and Ethiopia to the east, South Sudan to the south, the Central African Republic to the...
, and he acts as a United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
mediator in the Darfur conflict
Darfur conflict
The Darfur Conflict was a guerrilla conflict or civil war centered on the Darfur region of Sudan. It began in February 2003 when the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and Justice and Equality Movement groups in Darfur took up arms, accusing the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arab Sudanese in...
. He holds honorary degrees of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
, of the Mongolian Shihutug Law College, and of the University of Hamburg
University of Hamburg
The University of Hamburg is a university in Hamburg, Germany. It was founded on 28 March 1919 by Wilhelm Stern and others. It grew out of the previous Allgemeines Vorlesungswesen and the Kolonialinstitut as well as the Akademisches Gymnasium. There are around 38,000 students as of the start of...
. In 2008, he was awarded the Great Cross of Merit
Bundesverdienstkreuz
The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany is the only general state decoration of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has existed since 7 September 1951, and between 3,000 and 5,200 awards are given every year across all classes...
of the Federal Republic of Germany.
Recent publications
- Fighting terrorism at sea: options and limitations under international law. Japan Society for Defense Studies, Tokio 2008.
- The protection of the environment through international courts and tribunals. In: Andreas Fischer-Lescano (Hrsg.): Frieden in Freiheit - Festschrift für Michael Bothe zum 70. Geburtstag. Nomos, Baden-Baden 2008, ISBN 978-3-8329-3667-9, S. 807.
- Kosovo - some thoughts on its future status. In: Sienho Yee (Hrsg.): Multiculturalism and international law - essays in honour of Edward McWhinney. Nijhoff, Leiden 2009, ISBN 978-90-04-17471-9, S. 561.
See also
- International Tribunal for the Law of the SeaInternational Tribunal for the Law of the SeaThe International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is an intergovernmental organization created by the mandate of the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea. It was established by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, signed at Montego Bay, Jamaica, on December 10, 1982...
- University of Heidelberg
- Max Planck SocietyMax Planck SocietyThe Max Planck Society for the Advancement of Science is a formally independent non-governmental and non-profit association of German research institutes publicly funded by the federal and the 16 state governments of Germany....