IFLOS Summer Academy – Week 2

By Will Russell, Legal Research Intern at WWF-Canada
I am continually amazed at the staggering number of negotiations and effort over a ten year period which went into drafting the 1982 Convention. As much as the shortcomings of the Convention and the framework it provides have been lamented on the occasion, the fact that we have a ‘Constitution for the Ocean’ is truly an accomplishment in and of itself!
Aside from the demanding schedule of lectures, I had the opportunity this week to get to know a number of my fellow participants at the Academy. Having only limited international travel experience prior to coming to Hamburg, one of the pleasures of my stay has been studying, sharing stories and travelling with people from across the globe. With 31 countries represented at the Summer Academy, the truly international experience has added another element to my studies here.

The Summer Academy is held in the nineteenth-century Villa Schröder on the premises of ITLOS in Hamburg, Germany.

I have always been Canadian, but I have never been ‘Canadian’ within an international context. It is fascinating to hear the different impressions that people hold about ‘The True North, Strong and Free’, and to contrast them with my own views of the country I have always called home. Overwhelmingly, the impression of Canada I have received can be described as ‘BIG’ and ‘Nature.’ While I have not been asked if I know Bob from Toronto or Susan from Vancouver, I was asked what was the appropriate response in the event of a polar bear attack! It has been a real pleasure to discuss our professional and cultural differences, especially with regards to contentious issues such as access to fisheries and the Arctic.
This week the theme of the Academy shifts to Maritime Law issues, which I am looking forward to. Halfway through- and is still seems like I arrived only yesterday!
Tschuss!