Introduction

Today the world community needs to be ready to face the rapid development of cross-border issues. The more widespread fact that national issue can develop at any time with no control into an international issue, is aware by the nations that the boundaries between national issues and international issues can no longer be separated by a rigid boundary, but is limited only by a layer of a very thin membrane. The fact has brought an important legal consequence that governs the relationship between the international communities which is known as international law.

Stimulated by the ideas above, then a group of international law lecturer at the Faculty of Law University of Indonesia founded an institution called the Center for International Law Studies (CILS). The Center aims to examine the existing problems of international law, especially the one which has implications in community life in Indonesia. Including of course analyzing the extent to which international legal provisions that have been ratified by Indonesia have been implemented effectively, and the constraints that exist in implementation. Socialization of international law becomes an agenda of this institution, given the role of international law that cannot be ignored if the countries of the world want to live in an atmosphere of mutual respect for each other interests. Broadly these institutions would want to take an active role in bridging the interests of Indonesian government and society on one side with the interests of the international community on the other side, so that they can live together in harmony.

CILS: Who we are

Center for International Law Studies (CILS) or Lembaga Pengkajian Hukum International (LPHI) Faculty of Law University of Indonesia was established on January 21, 2003. The Center aims to examine the problems of existing international law especially that have implications for social and state life in Indonesia, including analyzing whether international law that binds Indonesia has been implemented effectively. Based on these objectives, CILS does a lot of cooperation with various parties, including the National Development Planning Agency, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, National SAR Agency, and the Coordinating Ministry for Economic Affairs.

Other cooperation established with the Ministry of Environment, regarding the ratification of socialization plans several international treaties that the Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1997 and the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety to the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2000. CILS also had worked with international organizations in Indonesia by involving students in a discussion with the United Nations Information Center (UNIC), which was held around December 2003. It discussed the scientific discussion about the United Nations Reform in the presence of the Director of UNIC and representatives of foreign embassies in Indonesia. Other cooperation was cooperation with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the form of a scientific discussion on Refugees (Refugees) in Indonesia and the problem as well as video playback on international refugees. In June 2004, CILS had initiated the MoU between the University of Indonesia and the Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) as a legal umbrella of cooperation in the future. CILS also actively conduct expert meeting in various topic of international law by inviting international experts both academician and practitioner. In order to facilitate the course of law of the sea, LPHI conducted cooperation with the TNI AL for an academic visit to the Hydro-Oceanographic Office TNI AL and engaged students as the observer on the maritime border survey activities.
Other activities including publication of books, hold seminars and training. Besides publishing Indonesian Journal of International Law (IJIL) since 2003, CILS had also published “International Law and The problem (A collection of essays)” written by Professor D. Sidik Suraputra as a reference book for teaching international law at FHUI (2004) and “Developing Country Interests Against Geographical Indication Rights, Genetic Resources, and Knowledge Traditional” which was published as a form of cooperation with Directorate General of IPR Ministry of Law and Human Rights (2005).

Various seminars and discussions which were held were Seminar on “Indonesian Law Reform: Expectations and Reality” in cooperation with the LDF (2004); Workshop “Developing Country Interests in Geographical Indication Rights, Genetic Resources and Traditional Knowledge” in cooperation with Directorate General of IPR in Justice and Human Rights (2005); Expert Meeting on the RI-GAM MoU (2005); open discussion on the “Granting Asylum in the Perspective of International Law and the Future of Relations in Indonesia and Australia” in collaboration with CIRES FISIP UI (2006 ); “Advanced Symposium on WTO Law” in collaboration with Indonesia Trade Assistance Project-USAID (2007); Expert Meeting on StAR Innitiative in cooperation with Traffic Generation Forum (2007); and Experts Meeting on The Law No 24 Year 2000 in cooperation with the Directorate General of International Treaty Law and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (2007). CILS organized Training on International Legal Research for international law lecturer as well as student (2004 – present). Starting in 2010, CILS manages to hold a yearly international conference. The first CILS Conference was titled “Progressive Development in International Law” was held at Faculty of Law University of Indonesia, while the 2011 theme was “ASEAN’s Role in Sustainable Development” which was held jointly with the Faculty of Law of Universitas Gadjahmada and the theme of 2012 CILS Conference was Human Security that was jointly held with Faculty of Law Hasanuddin University. The 2013 CILS Conference was held at Faculty of Law Universitas Syiah Kuala in Banda Aceh carrying theme “Transnational Organized Crime”. In the following year, Universitas Indonesia hosted the 2014 CILS Conference on International Cooperation.

In 2015 CILS cooperated with Airlangga University to organize the 6th CILS CONFERENCE with Regional Integration as the specific theme. The 7th CILS Conference was conducted in Andalas University with the theme “Maritime Affairs”. Through those above activities, CILS hopes to further develop studies on International Law in cooperation with national and foreign institutions. CILS is therefore ready to open a dialogue with the interested parties including how to develop the International Law Journal (IJIL) as one of the respected Journal in Indonesia that is dedicated to the development of International Law in Indonesia.