Public International Law & Policy Group

The Public International Law & Policy Group (PILPG) is a non-profit organization, operating as a global "pro bono" law firm providing free legal assistance to developing states and sub-state entities involved in conflicts. To facilitate the utilization of this legal assistance, PILPG also provides policy formulation advice and training on matters related to conflict resolution. To date, PILPG has advised over a dozen countries on the legal aspects of peace negotiations and constitution-drafting, and over fifteen countries in Europe, Asia, and Africa concerning fundamental questions of public international law. PILPG was nominated for the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize.

PILPG promotes the utilization of international law as an alternative to violent conflict or other destabilizing means for resolving international disputes. To accomplish this objective, PILPG provides legal counsel to states during peace negotiations, advises on the creation and operation of tribunals for the prosecution of war crimes, assists states with drafting constitutions, runs negotiation simulations, publishes field reports concerning ongoing or potential conflicts, and convenes expert roundtables to identify points of conflict and potential solutions.

The four primary practice areas of PILPG are Peacebuilding, International Justice, Post-Conflict Political Development, and Public International Law. To provide "pro bono" legal advice and policy formulation expertise, PILPG relies almost exclusively on volunteer legal assistance from more than sixty former international lawyers, diplomats, and foreign relations experts, as well as pro bono assistance from major international law firms. Because of its diverse network of volunteers, PILPG is able to maintain volunteer points of contact in London, Paris, New York, Washington, D.C., Cleveland, Boston, Rome, The Hague, Stockholm, Brussels, Kabul, Nairobi, and Seattle. From 1996 to 1998 PILPG operated under the auspices of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. In July 1999, the United Nations granted official Non-Governmental Organization status to PILPG.

Primary Practice Areas

Peace Negotiations and Post-Conflict Constitutions

PILPG is frequently called upon to provide legal and political counsel to parties and mediators engaged in peace negotiations and in drafting post-conflict constitutions. To date, PILPG has assisted with nearly a dozen peace negotiations and has provided numerous legal memoranda on all aspects of the negotiation process.

International Justice

War Crimes Trials have become a critically important component of nation building. PILPG’s War Crimes Practice Area was established in 1996, with an agreement between Richard Goldstone and PILPG to provide research assistance to the International Prosecutor on issues pending before the Yugoslavia Tribunal. The War Crimes Practice Group has significantly expanded to currently provide research assistance to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, the Special Court for Sierra Leone, the Iraqi Special Tribunal, and the International Criminal Court.

Post-Conflict Political Development

Another aspect of PILPG's mission is to educate and train diplomats and foreign officials, preparing them for peace negotiations and to draft international agreements. PILPG organizes roundtables to educate participants about previous attempts and successes at peace and invites those who were directly involved to facilitate a lessons-learned discussion. The purpose of this exercise is to accumulate and organize the wealth of knowledge currently in the peace-building field and to present future negotiators with a variety of solutions both to better prepare them and to facilitate successful negotiation outcomes.

Public International Law

The Public International Law Practice Area focuses primarily on the promotion of human rights and the protection of the environment but will include other topics, as well.

PILPG has been actively involved in various aspects of Human Rights issues around the world. PILPG provides advice to clients about the international standards and norms for human rights protections. PILPG also provides advice on creating programs which will provide protections that are consistent with these requirements. The major issues within the Human Rights field that PILPG has dealt with include nationality and citizenship, children's rights, due process protections, implementation of international standards, and rule of law issues.

Managing Board

*Paul Williams (professor), Executive Director
*Michael Scharf, Managing Director
*James Hooper, Managing Director

External links

* [http://www.publicinternationallaw.org The Public International Law and Policy Group]