Symposium: The Human Dimension of International Law: Introduction

This symposium comprises the contributions presented by five distinguished international lawyers at the European University Institute in Florence in October 2008 on a very special occasion. Antonio Cassese ("Nino" to his friends and colleagues) had recently celebrated his 70th birthday and, as is customary in many European countries, a group of his former students and friends chose this occasion to celebrate his academic and professional career with the publication of a selection of his most important writings on the three branches of public international law he has most influenced - international humanitarian law, international human rights law, and international criminal law. The outcome was a book, The Human Dimension of International Law, published in summer 2008 by Oxford University Press, the intention of which is to shed light on Nino's intellectual approach to these three areas of public international law. The publication of this volume also provided an excellent occasion to convene a small number of friends and colleagues as a token of appreciation and admiration for his many achievements as an international lawyer. As Nino shies away from any personal limelight (indeed, I am certain he will be troubled by these few lines about him), it was decided that this meeting at the