Founding.

Gustave Rolin-Jaequemyns，a Belgian jurist^[1]and editor of the Revue de droit international et de législation comparée，provided the initiative^[2]for the founding of the Institute of International Law（L'Institut de droit international）.In the aftermath^[3]of the Franco-Prussian War（1870-1871），he entered into correspondence^[4]with some other leading jurists who were also beginning to consider ways of establishing collective scientific action for the promotion of international law——inseparable^[5]，in their opinion，from the promotion of peace.In September，1873，he assembled ten eminent jurists for meetings in the town hall of Ghent：Tobias Asser（The Netherlands），Wladimir Besobrasoff（Russia），J.K.Bluntschli（Germany），Carlos Calvo（Argentina），David Dudley Field（U.S.A.），émile de Laveleye（Belgium），James Lorimer（Great Britain），P.S.Mancini（Italy），Gustave Moynier（Switzerland），and Augusto Pierantoni（Italy）.This group established the Institute，electing Mancini president and Rolin-Jacquemyns secretary-general.The Institute held its first session in Geneva in 1874；its fifty-fifth is scheduled for Zagreb in August-September，1971.

The Institute of International Law is a purely scientific and private association，without official character，whose objective is to promote the progress of international law by：formulating general principles；cooperating in codification^[6]；seeking official acceptance of principles in harmony with the needs of modern society；contributing to the maintenance of peace or to the observance of the laws of war；proffering needed judicial advice in controversial^[7]or doubtful cases；and contributing，through publications，education of the public，and any other means，to the success of the principles of justice and humanity which should govern international relations.