Peace Palace
The Peace Palace is an international law administrative building in The Hague, housing the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA), the United Nations International Court of Justice and The Hague Academy of International Law. The building also holds the Hague Academy of International Law and the Peace Palace Library with the Carnegie Foundation acting as the owner and manager of the Peace Palace.As society was damaged time and again by war the peace movement began to spread through Europe and America, leading Czar Nicholas II to organize an international peace conference. During the First Hague Peace Conference of 1899, also known as the Hague Conventions, 26 countries came together to speak about disarmament and about the possibility of international jurisdiction, which led to the establishment of the PCA. In 1907 a second peace conference was organized in The Hague, in which 44 countries participated.The Palace officially opened on 28 August 1913 with contributions from Scottish-American steel magnate Andrew Carnegie, international groups of jurists, politicians and pacifists. The Permanent Court of Arbitration finally had an official home. The European Heritage Label would be later awarded to the Peace Palace on 8 April 2014.Enter the Visitors Centre of the Peace Palace to experience a contemporary exhibition with a film providing an introduction to the establishment of the Peace Palace and the judicial institutions. You can also join a guided tour to discover the international atmosphere in the gardens designed with unique contributions made by various countries and marvel at the architecture and interior design of this iconic property.
