Confronting a World in Disarray
The Hague Peace Conference Simulation is back in 2018. This year’s scenario will be the conflict in Ukraine. You are invited to represent the delegations of Russia, Ukraine, Germany and other interested parties as a leading diplomat. You will be trained in diplomatic negotiation, regional geopolitics, the role of the EU, and energy security dilemmas by leading expe
rts in their fields. Bring your passion for Peace building, negotiations and international conflict resolution and have your voice heard! (Be ready to spar with your fellow participants!)
The Hague Peace Conferences was held at the initiative of Russian Tsar Nicholas II in 1899 who was deeply concerned about the international arms race and the potential for it to escalate into a global conflict. The first Conference took place on May 18, 1899 in The Hague mainly due to the neutral position adopted by the Netherlands. Around 100 diplomats, jurists, politicians and military officials gathered in the royal palace of Huis ten Bosch to discuss various laws regarding war conduct, limitations on armaments and the expansion of armed forces. The Conference addressed various important matters including a ban on certain types of war technology, and adopted three treaties, namely, the Convention with respect to the Laws and Customs of War on Land, the Convention for the Adaptation to Maritime Warfare of the Principles of the Geneva Convention of 22 August 1864 and the Convention for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes, which led to the creation of the Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague. The second Peace Conference followed in 1907 and was called at the request of U.S. Together, the two Conferences contributed greatly to the establishment of a model for multilateral meetings to negotiate matters of international law, which influenced the formation of the League of Nations in 1919. During the same year, on 30 July, the first stone of the ‘temple of peace’ or the ‘house of peace’ was laid after the Permanent Court of Arbitration emerged as a new institution under International Law. The edifice soon acquired the name ‘Peace Palace’. The construction of the Palace was made possible by a gift worth 1.5 million USD by Andrew Carnegie, the famous American philanthropist. The funds were entrusted to the Carnegie Foundation as it is known today and it is the body responsible for the management of the Peace Palace. The Peace Palace is famous for being the seat of International Law because it houses the International Court of Justice (the principal judicial body of the UN), the Permanent Court of Arbitration, The Hague Academy of International Law and the extensive Peace Palace Library.
