Feeling that there was a need for dialogue and fresh action in the humanitarian field, where a place and a role for new initiatives to study and analyze crucial questions of International Humanitarian Law were necessary, a group of concerned persons, namely Professor Paolo Rossi, Professor Jovica Patrnogic, Dr. Giancarlo Lombardo, Dr. Ugo Genesio and Dr. Guido Pancotti, at that time Mayor of Sanremo, constituted a committee with the aim of creating the "International Institute of Humanitarian Law" and organised a congress on "Human Rights as the Basis of International Humanitarian Law".
This congress was held in Sanremo from 25 to 27 September 1970 with the participation of more than 100 scholars. The creation of the International Institute of Humanitarian Law was officially announced on 26 September by the Rector of the University of Genova. The document establishing the creation of the Institute was signed by 33 founders Members. The first statutes of the Institute defined its objectives: to promote dissemination and developpment of International Humanitarian Law at national and international levels and to operate at all levels for its implementation. Villa Nobel (Sanremo) was chosen to serve as the first official seat of the Institute, a fitting choice since Alfred Nobel once lived there and conceived his famous will establishing the Foundation and the Prizes bearing his name.
FOUNDING MEMBERS
Prof. Paolo ROSSI, Italy U / Mr. Guido PANCOTTI, Italy / Prof. Roberto SOCINI LEYENDECKER, Italy U / Prof. Claudio ZANGHI, Italy / Mr. Gian Carlo LOMBARDO, Italy U / Mr. Enzo MERIGGIOLA, Italy / Prof. Erik SUY, Belgium / Prof. Bagher AMELI, Iran / Prof. Tudor POPESCU, Romania / Mr. Leonardo ZAMPARELLA, Italy / Mr. Ugo GENESIO, Italy / Prof. Jovica PATRNOGIC, Switzerland U / Mr. Ignaz SEIDL-HOHENVELDERN, Austria / Mr. Gustaf PETREN, SwedenU / Mr. Etienne BOERI, MonacoU / Dr. Raphael ELLENBOGEN, FranceU/ Mr. Giuseppe SPERDUTI, ItalyU/ Mr. Enrico CIANTELLI, Italy/ Dr. Pietro MERLO, ItalyU/ Dr. Emiliano ZAZO, Italy / Mr. Filippo GRAMATICA, ItalyU / Mons. Antonio TURRI, ItalyU / Mr. Adolfo MARESCA, ItalyU / Dr. Vladimir M.KABES, U.S.A. / Dr. Jean Marie Jules VONCKEN, Belgium / Mr. Charles Bernard SELAK, U.S.AU / Prof. Rup HINGORANI, India / Prof. Angelo MACCHIA, Italy / Mr. Granville FLETCHER, England / Mr. Walter SKAUPY, GermanyU / Mr. Franceso ZEULI, Italy / Ms Pia RAVENNA, Italy / Avv. Silvio DIAN, Italy.
THE INSTITUTE EMBLEM
The Institute’s emblem, the white swan on a sky background, was adopted for two reasons. It is generally know that the swan has often bee used in iconography, for its beauty and elegance, by different people and cultures. This character of universality was deemed suitable to represent an international organisation such as our institute. But there is also another reason for this choice, linked to the Italian region, Liguria, which hosts the Institute. A fable from Greek mythology tells the story of Cycnus, King of the Ligurians. He was next to kin to Phaeton and when the latter, in his useless attempt to drive the carriage of the Sun, was struck by lightning and fell into the Po river, Cycnus, while grieving for Phaeton’s death, was turned into a swan (in Latin cycnus). The metamorphosis of Cycnus was also celebrated by Ovid in his poems and the unlucky king in his new form became the emblem of the region over which he reigned.