Martti Antero Koskenniemi (born 18 March 1953) is a Finnish international lawyer and former

diplomat A diplomat (from grc, δίπλωμα; romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state or an intergovernmental institution such as the United Nations or the European Union to conduct diplomacy with one or more other states or internati ...

. Currently he is professor of International Law in the

University of Helsinki The University of Helsinki ( fi, Helsingin yliopisto, sv, Helsingfors universitet, abbreviated UH) is a public research university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turku (in Swedish ''Åbo'') in 1640 as the ...

and Director of the

Erik Castrén Institute of International Law and Human Rights The University of Helsinki ( fi, Helsingin yliopisto, sv, Helsingfors universitet, abbreviated UH) is a public university, public Research university, research university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turk ...

, as well as Centennial Professor at the Law Department of the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 millio ...

. He is well known for his

critical Critical or Critically may refer to: *Critical, or critical but stable, medical states **Critical, or intensive care medicine *Critical juncture, a discontinuous change studied in the social sciences. *Critical Software, a company specializing in ...

approach to

international law International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...

. In 2008–2009 he held the seat of distinguished visiting Goodhart Professor at the Faculty of Law,

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

. In 2011 Koskenniemi was

Peace of Utrecht The Peace of Utrecht was a series of peace treaties signed by the belligerents in the War of the Spanish Succession, in the Dutch city of Utrecht between April 1713 and February 1715. The war involved three contenders for the vacant throne of ...

professor at Utrecht University. In 2014 he was elected a

Corresponding Fellow of the British Academy Fellowship of the British Academy (FBA) is an award granted by the British Academy to leading academics for their distinction in the humanities and social sciences. The categories are: # Fellows – scholars resident in the United Kingdom # C ...

. Koskenniemi is currently serving as an

Academy Professor In some countries, an academy professor is a scientist appointed to function as professor and/or conferred to the official professor rank by the academy of sciences of that country, rather than by any university establishment. Such scientists are ...

for the Academy of Finland. Previously he has been Global Professor of Law in the

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

, and a member of the

International Law Commission The International Law Commission (ILC) is a body of experts responsible for helping develop and codify international law. It is composed of 34 individuals recognized for their expertise and qualifications in international law, who are elected by t ...

(2002–2006). He served in the Finnish

Diplomatic Service Diplomatic service is the body of diplomats and foreign policy officers maintained by the government of a country to communicate with the governments of other countries. Diplomatic personnel obtains diplomatic immunity when they are accredited to ...

in the years 1978–1996, lastly as director of the Division of International Law. He was Finland's counsel in the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...

in the ''

Passage through the Great Belt case The Great Belt ( da, Storebælt, ) is a strait between the major islands of Zealand (''Sjælland'') and Funen (''Fyn'') in Denmark. It is one of the three Danish straits, Danish Straits. Effectively dividing Denmark in two, the Belt was served ...

'' (''Finland v. Denmark'') (1991–1992). From 1997 to 2003 he served as a judge in the administrative tribunal of the

Asian Development Bank The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is a regional development bank established on 19 December 1966, which is headquartered in the Ortigas Center located in the city of Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines. The bank also maintains 31 field office ...

. He is a member of the

Institut de droit international The Institute of International Law ( French: Institut de Droit International) is an organization devoted to the study and development of international law, whose membership comprises the world's leading public international lawyers. The organizat ...

Writings

''From Apology to Utopia; The Structure of International Legal Argument'' (first published 1989) presents a critical view of international law as an argumentative practice that attempts to remove the political from

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

. It asserts that international law is vulnerable to criticisms of being either an irrelevant moralist

utopia A utopia ( ) typically describes an imaginary community or society that possesses highly desirable or nearly perfect qualities for its members. It was coined by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book ''Utopia (book), Utopia'', describing a fictional ...

or an apology for

Realpolitik ''Realpolitik'' (; ) refers to enacting or engaging in diplomatic or political policies based primarily on considerations of given circumstances and factors, rather than strictly binding itself to explicit ideological notions or moral and ethical ...

. ''The Gentle Civilizer of Nations: The Rise and Fall of International Law 1870–1960'' (2001) has two agendas. The first of these is to develop an intellectual history of international law, and to offer a critique of that history. The second is to offer a sociology of the profession of international law, using biographical studies of

Hersch Lauterpacht Sir Hersch Lauterpacht (16 August 1897 – 8 May 1960) was a British international lawyer, human rights activist, and judge at the International Court of Justice. Biography Hersh Lauterpacht was born on 16 August 1897 to a Jewish family in t ...

Carl Schmitt Carl Schmitt (; 11 July 1888 – 7 April 1985) was a German jurist, political theorist, and prominent member of the Nazi Party. Schmitt wrote extensively about the effective wielding of political power. A conservative theorist, he is noted as a ...

and

Hans Morgenthau Hans Joachim Morgenthau (February 17, 1904 – July 19, 1980) was a German-American jurist and political scientist who was one of the major 20th-century figures in the study of international relations. Morgenthau's works belong to the tradition o ...

References

External links

Kenneth Anderson's Blog: Martti Koskenniemi (Theory)
An analysis by Martti Koskenniemi, Crimes of War Project.
Special issue of the ''German Law Journal'' marking the re-publication of "From Apology to Utopia"

article on Martti Koskenniemi's scholarly work

FRAGMENTATION OF INTERNATIONAL LAW: Report of the Study Group of the International Law Commission, Finalized by Martti Koskenniemi
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koskenniemi, Martti 1953 births Living people 20th-century Finnish lawyers Finnish diplomats Legal historians International law scholars Academic personnel of the University of Helsinki Finnish legal scholars Members of the Institut de Droit International People from Turku Utrecht University faculty Corresponding Fellows of the British Academy International Law Commission officials Finnish officials of the United Nations 21st-century Finnish lawyers