Welcome to the website of
Royal Netherlands Society of International Law
Koninklijke Nederlandse Vereniging voor Internationaal Recht
The Royal Netherlands Society of International Law (KNVIR) was founded in 1910 as the Netherlands Society of International Law and as the Dutch Branch of the International Law Association (ILA).
The Prohibition of the Use of Force – Revisiting a central tenet of international law
Front Page, Spring MeetingSPRING MEETING
OF THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
The Prohibition of the Use of Force
Revisiting a central tenet of international law
TUESDAY 9 JUNE 2026, 16.00 – 17.30 HOURS
CAMPUS LEIDEN UNIVERSITY, UNIVERSITEITSCAMPUS SPUI,
ROOM 4B.38, SPUI 5, THE HAGUE AND ONLINE
Recent times have seen a serious challenge of the binding nature of public international law, including the prohibition of the use of force – once generally recognized as one of the most basic norms of the post-World War II legal order. The prohibition on the use of force was not only challenged by the invasion of the Crimea and the brutal war against Ukraine. Also countries seen as allies of the European collaboration (in both the EU and NATO) show little respect for the basic rules of international law – with the war against Iran as a recent and pertinent example.
During the spring meeting a panel of experts will discuss the ongoing value of the prohibition on the use of force and how this can be strengthened. What can and should ‘we’ in Europe do in the face of the current challenges?
The panel consists of
The panel presentation will be followed by discussion and drinks.
Registration: Please send an email to gro.r1779980071ivnk@1779980071tcatn1779980071oc1779980071 by Friday 3 june 2026 indicating whether you would like to attend the meeting in person or online.
Annual General Meeting 2025
Front Page, Annual General MeetingThe Royal Netherlands Society of International Law (KNVIR) devoted its Annual General Meeting of 7 November 2025 to the theme: ‘State Immunity in Civil Proceedings Comparative Notes and Critical Analysis’.
The recording of the meeting, hosted by Leiden University, can be viewed here. Speakers were:
will present their paper
Immunity from jurisdiction in civil proceedings
in which a foreign state is not named as a party
will present his paper
Immunity from execution. A quest for the rule of (customary International) law
followed by reflections by
Jure Vidmar
The meeting was introduced and moderated by Prof. Aukje van Hoek, President KNVIR.
International Food Law Symposium
Front Page, Other EventJOINT EVENT
ORGANISED BY THE ROYAL NETHERLANDS SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW (KNVIR) WITH WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY & RESEARCH (WUR) AND THE FOOD LAW ACADEMICS NETWORK (FLAN)
International Food Law Symposium
TUESDAY 25 NOVEMBER 2025 13.30 – 17.00
CAMPUS LEIDEN UNIVERSITY, WIJNHAVEN, ROOM 3.16, TURFMARKT 99, THE HAGUE AND ONLINE
The International Food Law Symposium is a joint event organized by the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law (KNVIR), Wageningen University and Research (WUR) and the Food Law Academics Network (FLAN).
The symposium combines introductory, fundamental and critical perspectives, both international and European, with contributions on special topics. For more information on the topics presented at the symposium, please see the full programme here. At the end of the event there will be room to discuss how International Food Law and International Law relate to each other, and the work of KNVIR. The meeting is followed by drinks.