Collective Commentary, article by article, piloted by Prof. Julian Fernandez and Mr Xavier Pacreau, in cooperation with the Thucydides Centre directed by Professor Serge Sur and by the Research Centre for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law directed by Professor Emmanuel Decaux – University of Panthéon-Assas.

The Commentary is being realised under the auspices of a Scientific Committee composed of the following members: Robert Badinter, Mario Bettati, Eric David, Emmanuel Decaux, Adama Dieng, Paola Gaeta, Gilbert Guillaume, Claude Jorda, Ahmed Mahiou, William Schabas, Serge Sur.

Project developed by:

Publication Secretary: Lola Maze, Research Assistant, University of Panthéon-Assas, secretariat@commentaire-cpi.com

The project is sponsored by the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie and by the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

Pedone Editions (Paris) will be publishing the study in 2011.

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This project is being led by two Research Centres at the University of Panthéon-Assas: the Research Centre on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law directed by Professor Emmanuel Decaux and the Thucycides Centre (International analysis and research) directed by Professor Serge Sur. The areas of expertise of the researchers from the two Centres cover related fields of inquiry: criminal international law, humanitarian law and human rights, public international law.......such a complementary approach is essential for this type of project. Moreover, together with such an interdisciplinary approach, the specialisations of some of the researchers in specific geographical regions (Africa, Europe...) also serve to reinforce the multicultural dimension of the study.

   Alongside the preparation and organisational aspect of the work, the project also calls for contributions from many French-speaking specialists (professors, researchers, professionals...). Furthermore, a Scientific Committee composed of personalities particularly well qualified to cover the legal aspects of the Commentary is also sponsoring the initiative: Robert Badinter (former Minister of Justice, Senator), Mario Bettati (Professor at the University of Panthéon-Assas), Eric David (Professor at the Open University of Brussels), Emmanuel Decaux (Professor at the University of Panthéon-Assas), Adama Dieng (Under-Secretary General of the United Nations and Registrar of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda), Paola Gaeata (Professor at the University of Geneva), Gilbert Guillaume (former President of the International Court of Justice), Claude Jorda (former President of the ICTY and former judge of the ICC), Ahmed Mahiou (Professor at the University of Montpellier), William Schabas (Professor at the National University of Ireland), and Serge Sur (Professor at the University of Panthéon-Assas).

   The Rome Statute is a major international text which has not yet been the subject of a collective commentary in French. This while other similarly important international texts have already been the subject of precise analysis of their dispositions in French. The collective commentary which is being undertaken thus purports to fill a gap in the commentary literature in the French language. It aims to be a work of reference which will be particularly useful, as much from a purely academic standpoint as from a more practical standpoint, and especially bearing in mind the upcoming Conference for revision in 2010. Moreover, contributors have been asked to comment on the practice of the ICC to a greater extent than Anglo-Saxon studies have done up until now, while at the same time discussing the fundamentals of the problematic of the institutionalisation of criminal international justice in its different aspects. The Commentary will thus be composed of two parts: the first part (introductory) will look at different legal issues linked to the setting up of the ICC; the second part will bring together the analysis article by article of the Rome Statute (cf. plan of the study).