EJIL 21:2 – In this Issue

The latest issue of EJIL (Vol. 21, no. 1) has just been published. We open with a symposium on the The Human Dimension of International Cultural Heritage Law convened by Francesco Francioni of the Board of Editors, whose Introduction articulates its Raison d‘être. One interesting thread which links the views of the various contributors (Ana Filipa Vrdoljak, Thérèse O’Donnell, Lucas Lixinski, Federico Lenzerini, Siegfried Wiessner, Karen Engle, Gaetano Pentassuglia and Micaela Frulli) is a shift from object to subject: property is featured as a channel towards the recognition and protection of cultural identity in its rich human dimensions. This phenomenon can be observed in the various facets of international cultural heritage law, whether human rights law with its eternal tension between liberal and communitarian trends, or in the context of the law of war, both in its jus in bello and jus post bellum dimensions. The interest and importance of this symposium transcends its specific subject matter.

In this issue’s EJIL:Debate! Sandesh Sivakumaran (see articles here and here) and Gabriella Blum skirmish about the international law of internal armed conflict, addressing both its patchwork doctrinal landscape and its conceptual physiognomy. The exchange repays careful study.

The Last Page features another memorable poem, The Lion Pass, by international law scholar Gregory Shaffer.