CYIL 2015

THE CZECHǧAUSTRIAN DECLARATION ON JURISDICTIONAL IMMUNITIES … THE CZECH-AUSTRIAN DECLARATION ON JURISDICTIONAL IMMUNITIES OF STATE-OWNED CULTURAL PROPERTY *

Petr Válek

Abstract: The objective of this article is to present to the international legal community the Czech-Austrian Declaration on Jurisdictional Immunities of State Owned Cultural Property, in particular to explain why it was prepared and what its content is. In the introductory part, the author further aims to set this Declaration into the wider context that is the historic development of the concept of State immunity and the applicable international legal framework (including the relevant jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice). Finally, the author attempts to evaluate – from the point of international legal practice – the usefulness of the Declaration. Resumé: Cílem tohoto článku je představit mezinárodněprávní komunitě česko- -rakouskou Deklaraci o jurisdikčních imunitách kulturního majetku státu, zejména vysvětlit, proč vznikla a co je jejím obsahem. V úvodní části se autor dále snaží zasadit tuto deklaraci do širšího kontextu, kterým je zde historický vývoj institutu imunity státu a příslušný mezinárodněprávní rámec (včetně relevantní judikatury Mezinárodního soudního dvora). Nakonec se autor pokouší z hlediska mezináro dněprávní praxe zhodnotit užitečnost této deklarace. Key Words: State Immunity, acta iure imperii, acta iure gestionis , Convention on Jurisdictional Immunities of States and Their Property, Declaration on Jurisdictional Immunities of State-Owned Cultural Property, International Law Commission, UN General Assembly, International Court of Justice, Case of Jurisdictional Immunities of the State (Germany v. Italy: Greece intervening) On the Author: Mr. Petr Válek is the Director of the International Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic. Prior to his current position, he was posted as Legal Adviser at the Czech Permanent Mission to the UN, worked as the Legal Officer at the International Law Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in the UN Mission in Kosovo and in the Coalition Provisional Authority in Baghdad. He also served in the Czech Army. Mr. Válek studied at the Charles University Law School in Prague, where he received both his Master’s degree and Ph.D., at the J. W. Goethe University Law School in Frankfurt am Main and at the University of Michigan Law School in Ann Arbor, where he gained an LL.M. degree.

* The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily correspond with the official position of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic and do not bind this institution in any way.

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