Professor Pierre d'Argent

With insight from my academic career and previous senior work at the International Court of Justice, I represent States in interstate disputes.

Pierre d’Argent is a full Professor at the University of Louvain, Belgium, a Member of the Institute of International Law and the past President of the European Society of International Law. He represents States in interstate disputes, in particular before the International Court of Justice which he served previously as First Secretary.

Pierre's advisory and litigation experience cover land and maritime disputes, genocide, war reparation, human rights, aviation disputes, investment arbitration, State contracts, environmental claims, natural resources, immunities of States and of international organizations.

Pierre is the author of over 110 published articles and book chapters, an award-winning book, a published course at The Hague Academy of International Law, a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on www.edx.org and courses on the United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law. He is a member of the editorial boards of the Annuaire français de droit international, the Revue belge de droit international and the European Journal of International Law. In 2027, he will teach a general course at The Hague Academy of International Law.

A member of the Bar of Brussels, Pierre argues international law cases before domestic courts and international tribunals. In particular, he has extensive experience before the International Court of Justice (ICJ). He has also experience in interstate arbitration, investment arbitration and in human rights litigation, both before the European Court of Human Rights and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights. In addition to assisting and representing States, Pierre also represents international organizations before domestic courts and in arbitration proceedings.

Pierre has been selected by the European Union as potential arbitrator under the Agreement on the withdrawal of the UK from the EU (reserve list). He is also retained by the EU as a potential arbitrator or a potential trade and sustainable development expert for dispute settlement panels under trade agreements to which the EU is a party.

Related Industries

Sovereign States

Related Practices

Education

University of Louvain Belgium, Ph.D. in Law, 2001
University of Cambridge, LL.M., 1991
University of Louvain, Belgium, Master of Law, magna cum laude, 1990
University of Louvain, Belgium, Master of Philosophy, magna cum laude, 1990

Bar and Court Admissions

BAR ADMISSIONS

Belgium

Languages

French
English
Dutch
German

Experience

International Court of Justice

Arrest warrant of 11 April 2000 (DRC v. Belgium). Counsel to the DRC.
Appeal Relating to the Jurisdiction of the ICAO Council under Article 84 of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates v. Qatar). Counsel to Qatar.
Appeal Relating to the Jurisdiction of the ICAO Council under Article II, Section 2, of the 1944 International Air Services Transit Agreement (Bahrain, Egypt and United Arab Emirates v. Qatar). Counsel to Qatar.
Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Qatar v. United Arab Emirates). Counsel to Qatar.
Armed Activities on the Territory of the Congo [Reparation phase] (RDC v. Uganda). Counsel to Uganda.
Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 (Guyana v. Venezuela). Counsel to Guyana.
Application of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (The Gambia v. Myanmar). Counsel to The Gambia.
Land and Maritime Delimitation and Sovereignty over Islands (Gabon/Equatorial Guinea). Counsel to Equatorial Guinea.
Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Armenia v. Azerbaijan). Counsel to Armenia.
Application of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Azerbaijan v. Armenia). Counsel to Armenia.
Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation). Counsel to Lithuania, intervener.
Alleged Smuggling of Migrants (Lithuania v. Belarus), counsel to Lithuania.

European Court of Human Rights

Counsel to two States in several interstate cases.

African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights

Mohammed Abdullah Saleh Al-Asad v. The Republic of Djibouti. Counsel to Djibouti.

Permanent Court of Arbitration

Arbitration pursuant to Article 32 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union (The State of Qatar v. The Kingdom of Bahrain). Counsel to Qatar.
Arbitration pursuant to Article 32 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union (The State of Qatar v. The Arab Republic of Egypt). Counsel to Qatar.
Arbitration pursuant to Article 32 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union (The State of Qatar v. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia). Counsel to Qatar.
Arbitration pursuant to Article 32 of the Constitution of the Universal Postal Union (The State of Qatar v. The United Arab Emirates). Counsel to Qatar.
Arbitration pursuant to Article 27 of the Energy Charter Treaty (Republic of Azerbaijan v. Republic of Armenia). Counsel to Armenia.
Bern Convention Arbitration (The Republic of Azerbaijan v. The Republic of Armenia). Counsel to Armenia.

Ad Hoc Arbitration (UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules)

Ralph Humphrey et al. (12 claimants) v. NATO (Lord Mance, arbitrator). Counsel to NATO.

International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID)

Ping An v. Belgium (ARB/12/29). Counsel to Belgium.
Djamel Ben Ferha c. Royaume de Belgique (ARB/24/15). Counsel to Belgium.

Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Disagreement before the ICAO Council under Article 84 of the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation (Qatar v. Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE). Counsel to Qatar.
Disagreement before the ICAO Council under Article II, Section 2, of the International Air Services Transit Agreement (Qatar v. Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE). Counsel to Qatar.

Belgian Courts

El Hamidi & Chlih v. NATO (Belgium intervening). Libya war reparation claim, counsel to Belgium and NATO.
Jefara v. NATO (Belgium intervening). Libya war reparation claim, counsel to Belgium and NATO.
Sipos v. NATO & Belgium. Labour dispute, counsel to NATO.

French and Luxembourg Courts

Sinequanon v. Ukraine. Vulture fund claim, counsel to Ukraine.

Advisory work and expert opinions

Adviser to a European State in connection with a dispute arising under the provisions of the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.
Adviser to a West African country on maritime delimitation.
Expert to counsels representing one of the parties in a PCA confidential ad hoc arbitration between a state-owned enterprise and a state in the oil sector.
Adviser to the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with “hostage diplomacy” and consular relations (2023).
Expert to the Special enquiry commission of the Belgian Parliament on the Belgian colonial past (2022).
Expert to the Belgian Parliament on the Global Compact for Migrations (2018).
Member of the academic group advising the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs on international law issues, including on the UN International Law Commission’s annual reports (since 2005).
Adviser on the reform of the CSFP to the Belgian government during the negotiation of the Amsterdam treaty on the EU (1997).
Pro bono Counsel for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) on legal aspects of the Mediterranean migrant crisis (summers of 2016, 2017 and 2018).
Expert opinions for private corporations and legal entities on various matters of international law (State succession, termination of treaties, law of the sea, belligerent occupation…).

Other Publications

Les réparations de guerre en droit international public. La responsabilité internationale des États à l'épreuve de la guerre, Bruxelles/Paris, Bruylant/LGDJ, 2002, pp. 902 (Suzanne Bastid Prize)
Les obligations internationales, Recueil des cours de l’Académie de droit international, Brill, t. 417, 2021, pp. 210.
More than 110 periodical articles and book chapters.

Honors & Involvement

HONORS

Chambers & Partners – France: Public International Law (2026)

INVOLVEMENT

Member of the Institute of International Law (elected Associate in 2015, Member since 2019).
President of the European Society of International Law (2021-2023).
Suzanne Bastid Prize 2002 of the French Society for International Law (prize for the best doctoral dissertation on international law written in French).
Fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt-Stiftung (2002).
Member of the Privileges and Immunities Advisory Group of the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, Geneva (2019).

RELEVANT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE