On the 12th of November Giuseppe Nesi, Professor of International Law at the University of Trento, was elected by the UN General Assembly in New York, with 152 votes in favour, as a member of the International Law Commission.
With Professor Nesi’s election, Italy returns to play a role within the Commission, an important assembly composed by 34 jurists, whose delicate task is the codification and development of International Law.
Professor Nesi’s career includes high-profile national and international experiences. In 1993 he was legal counsel of OSCE – former Presidency of Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe; in 1996 he served as legal adviser for the Italian Presidency of the European Union.
In 2000 he was a consultant for the Parliamentary Committee of Inquiry concerning the responsibility for the massacre of Cermis.
As for the diplomatic and institutional field, he has obtained various tasks of international importance: from 2002 to 2010 he was appointed as a legal expert to the Italian Permanent Representation at the UN. This position then led Giuseppe Nesi to serve as legal adviser for the President of the United Nations General Assembly in the 65th session, alongside Joseph Deiss – Swiss economist and politician.
In 2013, Emma Bonino – Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs – appointed him as a permanent member of the CIDU – the Italian Interministerial Committee for Human Rights.
In spite of the many roles he has covered, Professor Nesi’s role as a member of the International Law Commission – a permanent subsidiary body of the United Nations, established by the General Assembly in 1947 – will be one of the most prestigious of his career.
Since the foundation of the ILC, Italy has played a fundamental role in it, providing its contribution to the international community, thanks to the help of academics of international recognition.
However, this is the first time in more than 10 years, that an Italian scholar is appointed to the ILC. Giuseppe Nesi is the fifth Italian scholar to have held this prestigious role, also thanks to a support campaign implemented by the Italian diplomatic corps in support of his candidacy.
“This is an important indicator of the credit our country enjoys at the UN” – notes Farnesina, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Professor Nesi’s mandate will begin in 2023 and will last until 2027.
During these five years he will have to deal with fundamental issues for international cooperation, such as sustainability, the promotion of human rights, but also issues relating to climate change. Written by Daria Alexe.
