Paola Gaeta Receives an ASIL Certificate of Merit

Paola Gaeta (Bocconi's Department of Law and Geneva's Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies) is the recipient of the American Society of International Law (ASIL) 2017 Certificate of Merit for High Technical Craftsmanship and Utility to Practicing Lawyers and Scholars for the book The 1949 Geneva Conventions: A Commentary (Oxford University Press, 1,760 pages, £ 250) along with co-editors Andrew Clapham (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies) and Marco Sassoli (University of Geneva).

The book "collects the insights of over 60 international law experts", the five-strong Book Awards Committee chaired by Cornell Law School's Chantal Thomas explains in the motivations. "The volume's in-depth analysis of the four Geneva Conventions is organized not as a traditional article-by-article commentary, but rather thematically by subject matter, making it an accessible research tool for academics and practitioners alike. This is a timely publication in light of recent developments in the nature of armed conflicts and in the related fields of human rights law and international criminal law. The exemplary technical craftsmanship the book exhibits, together with its thorough analysis, make it a must-read for those interested in understanding and applying the Conventions".

The American Society of International Law was established in 1906 "to foster the study of international law and to promote the establishment and maintenance of international relations on the basis of law and justice", as its mission states. About 40% of its members come from outside the US.