In the afternoon of April 24, 2019, President Huang Jin met cordially with Miguel de Serpa Soares, Under-Secretary-General (USG) for Legal Affairs of the United Nations and United Nations Legal Counsel, and his delegation at the Haidian Campus of China University of Political Science and Law (CUPL).
During the meeting, President Huang Jin first extended a warm welcome to USG Soares and his delegation for their visit and expressed his expectation for his speech at CUPL. He then briefed the delegation on CUPL, including history and achievements, discipline advantages, program features, faculty, etc. In particular, he pointed out the long-term overall strategy and ongoing measures made by the CUPL to actively implement the important speech of President Xi Jinping when he visited CUPL on March 3 2017. CUPL has been active in promoting the advancement of the rule of law and cultivation of legal talents. President Huang said that over the past 40 years since reform and opening up, China has been a learner, follower and accommodator of international law, as well as an observer, practitioner, beneficiary, defender, builder and contributor. China's great achievements over the past 40 years could be attributed not only to reform and opening up and Socialism with Chinese characteristics, but also to learning and mastering international law and practicing and building the international rule of law. In the end, President Huang hoped that USG Soares would actively support the communication and cooperation between the CUPL and the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs as well as other relevant UN agencies, and facilitate CUPL students to do internship in the United Nations. He also believed that the visit of Soares would give new impetus to CUPL to carry out internship projects in international organizations.
Soares appreciated the warm reception and detailed introduction of President Huang. He said that he was very pleased to visit the CUPL, and was looking forward to discussions with teachers and students from the CUPL. He said that China was not only a follower of the system of international law, but also a formulator, hoping that China can participate more widely and make positive contributions. During his visit to China, he will also attend the second Belt & Road Forum for International Cooperation to discuss strengthening cooperation between China and the legal departments of the United Nations. Finally, Soares fully affirmed the training mechanism of the CUPL international personnel, especially achievements of the International organization Reserve Personnel training, and encouraged more outstanding teachers and students from the CUPL to participate in exchanges and internships of the UN Office of Legal Affairs.
The two sides also exchanged views on relevant issues in the field of international law.
Following the talk, Soares delivered a wonderful speech entitled “International Law at the United Nations - a Conversation with the UN Legal Counsel” in the Academic Hall. He introduced to the audience the organizational structure of the United Nations Secretariat and the main mandates and roles of the Office of Legal Affairs, and discussed some legal issues currently facing the United Nations. Then, teachers and students actively raised questions on a variety of issues, including the withdrawal mechanisms for member states of international organizations, judicial cooperation, protection of personal information, and how to apply for internships and jobs in the United Nations. The lecture was moderated by Prof. Kong Qingjiang, Dean of the School of International Law. About 240 teachers and students attended the lecture, including teachers and students from the School of Law, the School of Civil and Commercial Law, the School of International Law, the School of Criminal Justice, the School of Juris Master, the China-EU School of Law and the College of Comparative Law.
Before the talk, Vice President Ma Huaide presided over a luncheon reception, and the two sides exchanged views on how to strengthen cooperation between the legal departments of the United Nations and CUPL.
Before leaving CUPL, Soares was guided by CUPL students to visit the Qian Duansheng Memorial Center.
Also present at the above-mentioned events were Marcus Palleck, Senior Legal Officer and Special Assistant to the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations, Liao Gangqiang, officer from the Department of Treaty and Law, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China, Liu Dawei, Secretary of Party Committee of the School of Law, CUPL, Wang Hongsong, Secretary of Party Committee of the School of Civil and Commercial Law, Kong Qingjiang, Dean of School of International Law, Zhou Zhirong, Secretary of Party Committee of the School of Criminal Justice, Xu Shenjian, Dean of the School of Juris Master, Liu Fei, Chinese Co-dean of the China-EU School of Law, Xie Zhiyong, Dean of the College of Comparative Law, Xu Lan, Director of International Cooperation and Exchange Office, Zhu Lijiang, Assistant Dean of the School of International Law, Zhao Tianhong, Vice Dean of the School of Criminal Justice, Ronald Montague Silley, European Co-dean of the China-EU School of Law, CUPL and Lyu Yong, Deputy Director of the Office of International Cooperation and Exchange etc.
