UIA
Formation8 July 1927 (1927-07-08)
TypeInternational NGO
HeadquartersParis, France
FieldsLaw, Human Rights
Official language
French, English & Spanish (working languages) and Portuguese, Italian, German, Arabic & Mandarin (official languages)
President
Hervé Chemouli
Websitewww.uianet.org/en

The Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) or International Association of Lawyers is an international non-governmental organisation, created in 1927, that brings together more than 2,200 legal professionals from all over the world.

Historical Context

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At the end of the 19th century, most European lawyers worked within autonomous and independent bar associations, each with their own customs.

However, after World War I"," European lawyers gradually realized the importance of helping certain bar associations modernise and build international contacts[1]

In July 1925, lawyers from Belgium, France and Luxembourg initiated the "Union Internationale des Avocats" project, which came to fruition after two years of collaboration on July 8, 1927, in Charleroi, Belgium[2]

The President of the Paris Bar Association, Georges Guillaumin,[3] was nominated as the Association’s first president.

Once the UIA was formed, several bar associations sought its membership.[4] After joining the Association, each new bar contributed unique efforts towards the UIA's dual objectives: adapting older bars to the new economic and international climate, and working with the League of Nations[5] for the establishment of lasting peace.[6]

Objectives

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Today, the UIA defends the legal profession and encourages international networking, cooperation and understanding among lawyers with due regard to their cultural and professional diversity[7]

Two objectives underlie the UIA's activities:

Missions

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Today, the UIA is an association open to all lawyers from around the world,[9] general or specialized, and brings together several thousand members and 200 bar associations, federations, and associations from 110 countries.

Multilingual and multicultural, the UIA is the only major international lawyers organisation to have eight official languages (French, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Portuguese, Arabic, and Chinese) and to work in three working languages: French, English, and Spanish.

Moreover, the UIA has built more than 43 commissions composed of lawyers from jurisdictions spanning the globe. These lawyers practice in law firms, businesses, or public institutions. Each commission monitors the evolution occurring in a particular legal field (or practice)[10] and determines how these changes will affect or be affected by other legal fields. All UIA commissions collaborate to keep each other informed of their respective developments and findings.

The UIA's commissions and working groups are divided into two principal fields: Business Law and General Practice and Human Rights

Business Law

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The UIA commissions and working groups in business law focus on competition law, contracts, bankruptcy, corporate law, labour, intellectual property law, tax, banking, mergers and acquisitions, mediation, the international sale of goods, and foreign investments, among many other practice areas.

The UIA collaborates with the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) and notably presented a proposition for the definition of a "center of principal interests" (articles 2b) and 16-3 of the UNCITRAL law on international insolvency.[11]

Every year, the UIA organises numerous seminars on international subjects.[12][13] The UIA's events allow participants to meet colleagues, establish professional contacts and to debate questions about current events and controversial legal topics.

For its annual congress, the UIA creates working sessions for its commissions. These commissions produce reports accessible to all UIA members and organise congressional joint-sessions.

Each year, one or more principal themes are established for the Congress, inciting national and international legal and economic experts to engage in fruitful debate.

Protection of lawyers and Human Rights

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The UIA intervenes throughout the world in favour of lawyers who are imprisoned[14] or persecuted for practising their profession.[15]

Since 1971, the UIA has benefited from its special consultative status in the United Nations and the European Council.[16] Through the European Council,[17] the UIA produced a policy recommendation concerning money laundering[18] and the War on Terror.[19]

The UIA is represented in the three main offices of the United Nations (New York, Geneva, and Vienna), where the UIA organises a summit for international bar association presidents.[20] These summits permit bar association presidents to further the work initiated by the UN in diverse domains of international law.[21]

Additionally, the UIA sits at the heart of the Consultative Councils of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.[22] Finally, the UIA has followed the work of the preparatory commission of the International Criminal Court since its creation in 1998. The UIA also attends sessions of the Assembly of States Parties to the Statute of the Court.[23] The UIA is a member of the executive council of the International Criminal Bar.[24][25]

Members

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Presidency

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The term of each UIA presidency is one year.

Past Presidents:

Annual Congress

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IIIrd UIA Congress in LUXEMBOURG in which Nobel Peace Prize Winner Henri La Fontaine took part (pictured in the first row).

Since its creation, the UIA has organised annual congresses in locations all over the world for members and non-members to discuss legal topics in an international forum.

According to UIA Statutes, the organisation must convene a Congress at least once every two years. Between 1929 and 1938, UIA congresses were mainly annual. The 1939 Congress, which was scheduled to take place in Warsaw on the eve of the Second World War, did eventually not take place:[33]

The congressional process resumed in 1948, and a Congress was held annually until 1954 (except in 1952) :

From 1954 to 1989, a Congress was held every two years :

As of 1989, the Congress has once again become an annual event :

Resolutions and Charters[50]

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UIA Publications

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Juriste International Magazine

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Juriste International is the trilingual magazine (English, French, Spanish) of the UIA. Published four times a year, it has a circulation of 3000 copies.

It presents articles by authors - members or not members of the association - on national and international legal hot topics.

Editor-in-Chief: Barbara Gislason, Minnesota, United States.

UIA Awards

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UIA also rewards legal professionals for their scientific work, their professionalism, their involvement in the defence of the rule of law or for the innovative aspect of their professional practice.

Monique Raynaud-Contamine Award

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The Monique Raynaud-Contamine Award has been awarded from 1999 to 2018 for the best written reports submitted at the association's annual congresses.

Carlo MASTELLONE, Italy : Sales-related issues not covered by the CISG: assignment, set-off, statute of limitation, etc., under Italian law

Stefano DINDO, Italy : How to negotiate a cross-border business deal

Jorge MARTI MORENO, Spain : Migration of companies within the World Trade Organization, European Union and worldwide

Peter TURNER, UK : Ethics in International Arbitration

James MOORE, USA : Economic globalization and its impact upon the legal profession Luis ZARRALUQUI, Spain : El arbitraje en Derecho de Familia en general y en España en particular – La problemática de los procesos en los procesos arbítrales

Howard H. SPIEGLER, USA : Restitution of nazi-looted art: view from the United States

Judith GIBSON, Australia: Detention after sentence

Carolina PINA, Spain : Copyright in the digital age: from dadaism to mash-up

Francis GERVAIS, Canada : Qui est le client ?

Francisco RAMOS ROMEU, Spain : El embargo internacional de créditos en la UE

Janice MULLIGAN, USA : How would you like your Pacemaker to be hacked? Healthcare cyber vulnerability: a risk management nightmare for the 21st century

Maria CRONIN, UK (Special Mention – Young Lawyer)

Ian DE FREITAS, UK : Towards an international regulatory approach for mass surveillance and profiling – Striking the balance between national security and privacy

Barbara BANDIERA, Italy (Special Mention)

Jacques Leroy Prize

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From 2010 to 2017, Jacques Leroy Prize was awarded to a law student who, by his or her written submission, promoted the recognition of human rights in the business world.

Rule of Law Award

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Since 2016, UIA, in partnership with LexisNexis, acknowledges and publicises individuals and/or organisations for their commitment and actions to the development and promotion of the Rule of Law.

LegalTech Inspiration Award

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In 2021, UIA and LexisNexis launched the LegalTech Inspiration Award in order to encourage innovation in the legal field and reward the organizations or individuals that bring new ideas to the legal world which change lawyers’ outlook, practice or working methods.

References

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  1. ^ Gisèle Sapiro, L'espace intellectuel en Europe, La Découverte, 2009, 410 p. (ISBN 9782707157805, lire en ligne [archive]), p. 3. L’internationalisation des champs intellectuels dans l’entre-deux-guerres : facteurs professionnels et politiques, p 111-146
  2. ^ "Union Internationale des Avocats. — XIe Congrès, Paris, Juillet 1949" (PDF) (in French). Persée.fr. July 1949. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-09-24.
  3. ^ "L'Ouverture de la conférence des Avocats" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  4. ^ Robert N. Anderson, "The International Bar Association: its Establishment and Progress ", A.B.A.J. no 36, juin 1950, p. 464
  5. ^ Liora Israël, Robes noires, années sombres: la résistance dans les milieux judiciaires, Fayard, 31 août 2005, 550 pages
  6. ^ Liora Israël, Robes noires, années sombres: la résistance dans les milieux judiciaires, Fayard, 31 août 2005, 550 pages p.(ISBN 2213659605)
  7. ^ Jacques Attali, Demain, qui gouvernera le monde ?, Éditions Fayard, 2011, p.418
  8. ^ " Union internationale des avocats, Les Barreaux dans le monde. Die Rectitsanwalt-schaft in der Welt, tome I" on www.persee.fr
  9. ^ Jacques Attali, Demain, qui gouvernera le monde ?, Éditions Fayard, 2011, p. 418
  10. ^ " Règlement des conflits: Les avocats y planchent - Leconomiste.com "
  11. ^ "Ods Home Page" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 25, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  12. ^ "L'Union internationale des avocats a débattu pendant deux jours à Luxembourg des enjeux de la protection des données personnelles avec entre autres des représentants de Microsoft et de Google - Europaforum Luxembourg - Septembre 2014". Archived from the original on 2016-09-11. Retrieved 2015-07-06.
  13. ^ "Données personnelles et responsabilité sociétale d'entreprise". 2014-12-04.
  14. ^ "Radiation de Me Rufyikiri de l'Ordre des avocats : huit confrères pour la défense". 2014-01-20.
  15. ^ "UIA". UIA.
  16. ^ "INGO Database". www.coe-ngo.org.
  17. ^ "The European Social Charter - Social Rights - www.coe.int". Social Rights.
  18. ^ CHAPPUIS, Benoit., " Le secret de l'avocat face aux exigences de la lutte contre le blanchiment d'argent : l'avis de la Cour européenne des droits de l'homme. ", Forum poenale, vol. Jg. 6, no no. 2, 2013, p. 118-124
  19. ^ "La position de l'Union Internationale des Avocats (UIA) sur les Directives de l'Union Européenne relatives à la lutte contre le blanchiment d'argent et le financement du terrorisme" (PDF) (in French). Archived from the original (PDF) on July 26, 2014. Retrieved July 17, 2014.
  20. ^ "Organisation des Nations Unies - Bureau des affaires juridiques". legal.un.org.
  21. ^ "United Nations - Office of Legal Affairs". legal.un.org.
  22. ^ "Report of the International Tribunal for the prosecution of persons responsible for serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in the territory of the former Yugoslavia since 1991" (PDF). United Nations.
  23. ^ "Office of the Prosecutor". icc-cpi.int.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ "Latest news". bpi-icb.com.
  25. ^ BPI-ICB. "Membres du Conseil".
  26. ^ "Le bâtonnier Claude Lussan président de l'Union internationale des avocats", Le Monde, July 26, 1969
  27. ^ "Obituario Miguel i Estrada Samano". elmundodelabogado.com. May 2016.
  28. ^ a b "What is the UIA - Structure". Archived from the original on 2006-09-09.
  29. ^ "52th Congress 2008 - Bucharest - Programme and Registration" (PDF).
  30. ^ "Steven L. Dreyfuss, Chevalier of the Legion of Honor".
  31. ^ "Miguel Loinaz, presidente de la UIA: "si un abogado tiene buenos servicios por parte de su Colegio se va a colegiar igualmente"". Economist&Jurist (in Spanish). 2014.
  32. ^ Advocatus. "pedro pais de almeida eleito vice-presidente da uia". www.advocatus.pt. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03.
  33. ^ Charles Gheude, "L’Union Internationale des Avocats", Journal des Tribunaux, 1947, p. 123-124
  34. ^ "Le congrès de l'Union Internationale des Avocats", Le Monde, July 25, 1949
  35. ^ "Congrès de l’Union internationale des avocats, Luxembourg, 1931 – Le Mundaneum"
  36. ^ "XIIIe Congrès de l'Union internationale des avocats", www.persee.fr
  37. ^ "Union internationale des avocats, Travaux du XIIIe Congrès tenu à Rio de Janeiro du 7 au 12 septembre 1951. Trabalhos do XIII Congresso realizado no Rio de Janeiro de 7 à 12 de setembro de 1951", www.persee.fr
  38. ^ "Le prochain Congrès de l'Union internationale des avocats (Vienne, 14-19 septembre 1953)" www.persee.fr
  39. ^ "Le XVe Congrès de l'Union internationale des avocats (Bruxelles, 8-13 septembre 1954)", www.persee.fr
  40. ^ "Le congrès de l'Union Internationale des Avocats" Le Monde, September 21, 1954
  41. ^ "Le 16e Congrès de l'Union internationale des avocats (Paris, 15–20 July 1956)" www.persee.fr
  42. ^ "Congrès à Paris de l'Union Internationale des Avocats", Le Monde, July 9, 1956
  43. ^ "Le prochain Congrès de l'Union internationale des avocats (Milan, 8-12 septembre 1958)" www.persee.fr
  44. ^ "À l'Union Internationale des Avocats ", Le Monde, October 29, 1958
  45. ^ "Vingt-deuxième Congrès de l'Union internationale des avocats (Londres, 21-26 juillet 1969)" www.persee.fr
  46. ^ "L'Union Internationale des Avocats tiendra son prochain congrès à Paris", Le Monde, March 11, 1970
  47. ^ "27e Congrès de l'Union internationale des avocats (Zagreb, September 5–9, 1977) " www.persee.fr
  48. ^ "L'Union Internationale des Avocats réunira son prochain congrès à Cannes", Le Monde, January 30, 1979
  49. ^ "Quand l'Union Internationale des avocats organise son 55e congrès annuel à Miami Beach . Le Nouvelliste". lenouvelliste.com.
  50. ^ "Résolution et Chartes". Archived from the original on 2015-07-30. Retrieved 2015-07-07.
  51. ^ "Gazette du Palais – l'Information juridique de référence pour les avocats".
  52. ^ Québec, Barreau du. "Volume 37 - Numéro 14". Archived from the original on 2014-07-25. Retrieved 2014-07-17.
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