International Affairs Committee Report for Annual Board Meeting

The International Affairs Committee wishes to thank outgoing President Irwin Schwartz, along with Executive Director Ralph Grunewald, and all of the folks who work at NACDL for the amazing help and support this past year. We look forward to another successful year with President Larry Goldman and the great people of NACDL.

2002-2002 has been one of the most successful years for NACDL internationally and much of this credit goes to the committee member and NACDL leadership. This report will be an overview of the year's activities including some significant events since the last board meeting. Because of the contributions by all of the committee members, our report will be presented through the member's contributors and accomplishments.

Gustavo López-Muñoz y Larraz, our life member in Madrid, Spain, was instrumental in arranging meetings for President Irwin Schwartz with members of the Spanish government, judiciary and Madrid Bar Association. The goal of our October 2001 meetings was to discuss amendments to the UNHCHR resolution on the "Question of the Death Penalty" and to encourage Spanish support for NACDL's on-going program of promoting socially responsible investments by European entities regarding the death penalty. Spain held the Presidency of European Union from January 2002 through June 2002 and as a result was responsible for drafting and introducing the UNHCHR resolution on behalf of the European Union. We can report that in April 2002, the UN Commission on Human Rights, in Genevz Switzerland, adopted an improved and tougher resolution on the "Question of the Death Penalty," including stronger language on respect for the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the call for abolition of the death penalty world-wide.

Gustavo also represented NACDL and the International Committee (IC) at a UN prep-com on the International Criminal Court and the need for an International Criminal Bar when the European regional meeting was held in Spain this past spring. Gustavo's active and meaningful participation in the meetings was important in demonstrating to ICC organizers that NACDL respected and benefited from a European perspective in matters of concern to criminal defense lawyers worldwide.

Gustavo is highly respected in Spain and well known throughout Europe for his progressive work on the benefits of a jury trial and on behalf of criminal defense lawyers. We have been honored to have him on our committee and as our friend. Gracias mucho, Sr. Larraz.