Lauterpacht Lectures 2005: 'The Use of Force in the International Community' by Dr Hans Blix

Lectures series by Hans Blix PhD, LLD, Chairman of the Weapons of Mass Destruction Commission (WMDC), Former Executive Chairman of the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission for Iraq (UNMOVIC), and Director General Emeritus of the IAEA

Introduction - by Professor Sir Elihu Lauterpacht QC

It is my pleasure to welcome Dr Hans Blix on his return to Cambridge. I speak of 'his return' because he is really one of us, having spent two years here in the early 1950s doing research towards his Doctorate.

Dr Blix really needs no introduction. His name is now as universally known as is the war in Iraq, to the commencement of which he was so strongly opposed. But it is, nonetheless, appropriate to recall that before he became the Executive Chairman of UNMOVIC, the body that was charged with Monitoring, Verification and Inspection of the weapons situation in Iraq, he had been for 16 years the Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency. Prior to that he had been Foreign Minister of Sweden. And before that he had been a real international lawyer, initially as a professor at Stockholm and then as Legal Adviser of the Swedish Foreign Ministry.

Of his formal qualifications for the performance of his crucially important task in Iraq there can be no doubt, nor as regards his Chairmanship of the newly formed International Commission on Weapons of Mass Destruction. But to these formal qualifications must be added others: a first-class mind; high literary and diplomatic skills, as demonstrated in his account of his Iraq experience entitled "Disarming Iraq – the Search for Weapons of Mass Destruction", published earlier this year; a warm and agreeable personality; and, not least, the blessing of generosity. He has been generous in devoting so much of his life and work to the benefit of the international community. And he is particularly generous now in coming to Cambridge to deliver this year's series of Hersch Lauterpacht Memorial Lectures. There will be three of them: to-day's entitled "The Use of Force in the International Community"; tomorrow's will be on "International Inspection in Iraq and elsewhere"; and the third, on Wednesday, is entitled "Iraq. Use of Force. Reform of the UN." Each of them is sure to be of major interest.

We are honoured that Dr Blix is here and we thank him most warmly for his willingness to add lustre to this series of lectures.

Lecture papers:

These papers are unedited and subject to revision.

The Use of Force in the International Community

Monday 22 November 2004

Notes (as delivered)

International Inspection in Iraq and elsewhere

Tuesday 23 November 2004

Notes (as delivered)

Iraq, Use of Force, and Reform of the UN

Wednesday 24 November 2004

Notes (as delivered)