The Hague Prize for International Law 2011 will be awarded to Professor Paul Lagarde, from Paris, France, “in view of [his] outstanding contribution to the study and promotion of private international law”.

The award was announced by Dr. Bernard Bot, Chairman of The Hague Prize Foundation. Dr. Bot said: “Mr. Lagarde is one of the most important contributors to the work of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. Professor Lagarde also performed an important role in the development of private international law within the European Union, for which his Hague work was an important source of inspiration.” Amongst his many other activities Professor Lagarde enriched the work of the Hague Conference through his participation as expert, delegate, chairman and reporter for the Conference.

This prestigious prize was established in 2002 by the municipality of The Hague and is awarded by the independent Hague Prize Foundation, ”to physical persons and/or legal persons who – through publications or achievements in the practice of law – have made a special contribution to the development of public international law and/or private international law or to the advancement of the rule of law in the world”. The prize consists of a medal of honour, a certificate and a monetary amount of € 50,000.

The first recipient of the prize was Professor Shabtai Rosenne in 2004. Professor M. Cherif Bassiouni received the prize in 2007, and in 2009 the prize was awarded to Dame Rosalyn Higgins.

Mayor Jozias van Aartsen of The Hague will present the prize to Professor Lagarde on Wednesday 21 September 2011 at a ceremony to be held in the Peace Palace.