Nomination of Professor Chester Brown for Election to the International Law Commission

The Australian Government is pleased to announce the nomination of Professor Chester Brown for election as a member of the International Law Commission (ILC) for the term 2017-21. Professor Brown is co-nominated by Canada and New Zealand.

Australia is a strong supporter of the ILC. As the United Nations body responsible for encouraging the development and codification of international law, it plays an important role in upholding the rule of law internationally. Several pivotal international legal instruments have been developed through the ILC, including the draft Statute of the International Criminal Court and the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

Professor Brown is a renowned international legal expert with extensive experience as a government legal adviser, academic and private practitioner. He has made a significant contribution to the teaching and practice of international law, with work spanning: international dispute settlement; State responsibility; State immunity; international environmental law; and trade and investment law. He has a substantial record of service as counsel in international investment arbitrations, inter-State arbitrations, and proceedings before the International Court of Justice.

A graduate of the Universities of Melbourne, Oxford and Cambridge, Professor Brown currently serves as Professor of International Law and International Arbitration at the University of Sydney.

The ILC elections will take place at the United Nations in November 2016. The last Australian member of the ILC was Professor James Crawford AC, who served from 1992-2001.