This challenging volume contains articles by a wide variety of well-known scholars and practitioners, and deals with human rights, international humanitarian law, international criminal law and humanitarian assistance, as well as other areas of international law relating to the protection of humanity. These are topics to which Flavia Lattanzi, in whose honour the volume is being published, has made an outstanding contribution and to which she has given her determined and unrelenting professional and personal commitment. As a former Professor at the Universities of Pisa, Sassari, Teramo and Roma Tre and as Judge ad litem at the International Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, she has adhered constantly to a number of important principles, as reflected in the research contained in this volume. They include the firm conviction that respect for human rights is an indispensable precondition for durable peace; the notion that grave breaches of human rights, including the refusal to provide assistance to populations in distress, can imply a threat to international peace and security; and that guarantees against human rights violations include the question of the punishment of core crimes under International Law.
About the Author: Pia Acconci, Ph.D. (1997) University of Bergamo, is Professor of European Union (EU) Law and International Investment Law at the Law Faculty of the University of Teramo and a member of the Committee on 'Global Health Law' of the International Law Association (ILA). Her writings mainly concern the protection of social rights in international and EU law and international and EU law on investment. In particular, she published a monograph on the Protection of health within international law (CEDAM/Kluwer, 2011) and co-edited a book on general interests of host States in international investment law (Cambridge University Press, 2014).

David Donat Cattin, Ph.D. (2000), University of Teramo, J.D. (1994, LUISS University-Rome), is the Secretary-General of Parliamentarians for Global Action (PGA) and Adjunct Assist. Professor of International Law at New York University, Center for Global Affairs. His research topics include crimes under International Law, general principles of International Criminal Law and IHL, victims' rights, international criminal jurisdictions, domestic implementation of international obligations and the use of force.

Antonio Marchesi, Ph.D. (1991), European University Institute, is Professor of International Law at the University of Teramo and Chairperson of Amnesty International Italy. His research topics include State responsability, human rights and international criminal justice.

Giuseppe Palmisano, Ph.D. (1992), University of Milan, is Professor of International Law at the University of Camerino and Director of the Institute for International Legal Studies of the National Research Council of Italy (CNR). He is member and currently President of the European Committee of Social Rights (Council of Europe). His research topics include State responsibility, international dispute settlement, self determination of peoples, human rights and migrations.

Valeria Santori, Ph.D. (2004), University of Teramo, is an international consultant who has worked inter alia for the United Nations and the Food and Agriculture Organisation. Formerly Senior Policy Officer and Special Advisor on Syria to the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (Nobel Peace Prize Laureate 2013), Global Centre Fellow at the Centre for Global Legal Problems at Columbia Law School (2005) and Legal Advisor to Judge Gaetano Arangio-Ruiz at the Iran-United States Claims Tribunal, her research topics include disarmament and terrorism.