Highlights from the Seventeenth Interparliamentary Conference in Geneva
Mr. Henri Fazy, an esteemed statesman and president of the Swiss State Council, warmly welcomed the delegates, extending greetings on behalf of Geneva and the entire country.
On the first day, two pivotal questions were deliberated. The first question revolved around whether the Union should exclusively consist of members from national parliaments or continue admitting members from certain states within empires, akin to some German states. The debate saw participation from prominent delegates, with differing views on the extent of membership privilege. The matter was conclusively addressed the following day, adopting a proposition from the Union’s council The Seventeenth Interparliamentary Conference at Geneva. It stipulated that only subordinate states with foreign departments, like certain German states, should have representation in the Union.
Dr. Zorn
The second question addressed the topic of international arbitration, presented by Dr. Zorn, a distinguished professor from Bonn and former chairman of the German delegation at the First Hague Conference. Dr. Zorn acknowledged progress in arbitral jurisdiction since the First Hague Conference, expressing belief in the feasibility of a global arbitration treaty. He suggested omitting references to national honor and vital interests from treaties, asserting that safeguarding these aspects was inherent in the concept of national sovereignty.
Dr. Zorn discussed the relationship between international tribunals of obligatory arbitration and national judicial systems. He proposed that nations should be legally bound to regularly submit disputes in international law to arbitral jurisdiction, leading to the modification of their international legal systems.
Dr. Zorn emphasized the role of the international tribunal of arbitration as a legislative organ Ancient Bulgaria Tour, authentically determining the sense and scope of arbitration treaties. While commending the Hague Court for matters of public international law, he urged Interparliamentary Union members to initiate a preliminary study on establishing an international juridical court for issues of private international law, given the significant development in global traffic.
