Volume 29 of the Asian Yearbook of International Law commences with a collection of scholarly articles. This is succeeded by a compilation of legal materials, encompassing a detailed record of Asian states’ participation in multilateral treaties and an exposition of their state practice within international law. The volume further includes a literature section, offering a bibliographic survey of relevant materials on international law in Asia, concluding with a comprehensive summary of DILA’s activities in 2023.
I Articles
The twenty-ninth volume of the Yearbook primarily comprises articles originating from DILA’s 35th Anniversary Conference, convened in Seoul, Korea, from June 13 to 14, 2024. The conference theme, “Asian States’ Potential Leadership in International Law,” prompted presenters to explore questions concerning their respective countries’ unique perspectives on international law and their contributions to its evolution. Leading international legal scholars from various countries contributed articles addressing these inquiries. These include Chang Yen-Chiang and Sun Jie from Dalian Maritime University, representing China; R. Rajesh Babu from the Indian Institute of Management Calcutta, representing India; Seokwoo Lee from Inha University Law School, representing Korea; Battogtokh Javzandolgor from the National University of Mongolia, representing Mongolia; Rommel J. Casis from the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Law, representing the Philippines; Wasantha Seneviratne from the University of Colombo and Ranuli Senaratne from SLIIT University, representing Sri Lanka; Dustin Kuan-Hsiung Wang from National Taiwan Normal University, representing Taiwan; and Kitti Jayangakula from Thammasat University, representing Thailand.
II Legal Materials
From its inception, the Yearbook has been dedicated to offering scholars, practitioners, and students a comprehensive account of Asian state practice. This commitment aims to foster an understanding of how Asian states operate within the international system and how international law is integrated into their domestic legal frameworks. The Yearbook achieves this through two principal methods: first, by documenting the engagement of Asian states in multilateral treaties; and second, by detailing the contemporary state practice of Asian nations. In 2023, numerous dedicated scholars contributed reports on the state practice of their respective countries.
Participation in Multilateral Treaties
Karin Arts of the International Institute of Social Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam in The Hague, The Netherlands has compiled and edited the participation of Asian states in multilateral treaties for the 2023 calendar year.
State Practice of Asian States in the Field of International Law
The State Practice section within the Yearbook aims to provide readers with a comprehensive overview and concise summation of actions undertaken by Asian states that directly influence the development and application of international law. The distinguished state practice rapporteurs, as enumerated in the table of contents, have meticulously documented the state practice of their respective nations throughout the 2023 calendar year. Their contributions elucidate the mechanisms through which these states integrate and implement international legal principles within their domestic legal frameworks and in the conduct of their foreign relations.
III Literature
Bibliographic Survey
Angela Semee Kim, Assistant Professor of Law at Handong Global University in Korea, prepared the bibliography which provides information on books, articles, notes, and other materials dealing with international law in Asia published in 2023.
IV DILA Events
The Yearbook concludes with a report on the activities undertaken by DILA in the year 2023, namely the 2023 DILA International Conference which took place on June 26, 2023 at the National University of Mongolia in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia; the 2023 DILA Academy and Workshop that was held at the Mirage Tourist Camp on June 27; and the 2023 DILA+APOLIA International Conference in Taiwan that was held on December 5.
Seokwoo Lee
Co-Editor-in-Chief
Hee Eun Lee
Co-Editor-in-Chief