Lazare Kopelmanas



Lazare Kopelmanas (born July 14 1907 in Kaunas, Russian Empire; died December 9, 1980, in Paris, France) was an international jurist and diplomat. His older brother was Lithuanian businessman and public figure Moisey Kopelman.

Biography
After obtaining his candidate's degree in economic and social sciences at the University of Geneva in 1929, he went to the University of Paris to study law. Shortly after his graduation in 1935, he began to teach at its Institut des hautes études internationales and became professor in 1939. Later that same year he volunteered into the French army. During the German invasion of France in 1940, he was taken prisoner and interned in Stalag VII-A. After liberation he came back to the University of Paris, where his doctoral dissertation earned him Prix de thèse for the year 1945. From 1949 to 1961 he was Legal Adviser to the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), and from 1961 to 1977 - adviser to the United Nations Office at Geneva in matters concerning legal aspects of trade, industry and technology transfer.

In different post-war years Kopelmanas lectured at the Centre d'Études de Politique Éntrangère (1948, 1950), The Hague Academy of International Law (1950, 1976), Yale University (Visiting Professor in 1957-1958), University of Geneva (Associate Professor in 1971–1975), University of Paris (1945–1948, 1960–1962, 1977).

Other positions

 * “Secrétaire de la rédaction” of the Revue générale de droit international public (1937–1939).
 * Counsel for France before the International Court of Justice in the 1948 Admission of a state to the United Nations case.
 * “Maître de recherches” at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (Paris, 1945–1950).
 * Deputy Rapporteur of the Study Committee of the First and Second Conferences of Non-Governmental Consultative Organizations (Geneva, 1948–1949).
 * Expert representing the United Nations at the First General Assembly of the International Council for Building Documentation (Paris, October 23–28, 1950).
 * Observer representing UNECE at the Fifth Conference for the Revision of the International Conventions concerning the Carriage of Goods by Rail (CIM) and of Passengers and Luggage by Rail (CIV) (Berne, October 15–25, 1952).
 * Observer representing the United Nations at the 1955–1956 Geneva Round of General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade negotiations.
 * Representative of the United Nations at the First (Barcelona, September 17–20, 1956) and Second (Rome, October 11–15, 1959) Meetings of the Organizations concerned with the Unification of Law.
 * Executive Secretary of the Special Meeting of Plenipotentiaries convened for the purpose of negotiating and signing the European Convention on International Commercial Arbitration (Geneva, April 10–21, 1961).
 * Member of the International Council for Commercial Arbitration (1969–1977).