In 2003 the Committee of Legal Advisers on Public International Law (CAHDI) held two meetings in order to examine questions of public international law, to exchange and, if appropriate, to co-ordinate the views of member States at the request of the Committee of Ministers, Steering Committees and Ad Hoc Committees and on its own initiative.

The CAHDI continued to operate as a European Observatory of Reservations to International Treaties and to consider outstanding reservations to international treaties concluded within and outside the Council of Europe. Moreover, following the decision taken by the CAHDI at its 23rd meeting, the CAHDI considered reservations to certain international treaties applicable to the fight against terrorism.

The Committee also held exchanges of views concerning the following issues: implementation of international instruments protecting the victims of armed conflicts; developments concerning the International Criminal Court (in particular the Conclusions of the third multilateral consultation on the implications for Council of Europe member States of the ratification of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, the declaration of Mr Walter Schwimmer, Secretary General); Implementation and functioning of the ad hoc criminal tribunals established by United Nations Security Council Resolutions 827 (1993) and 955 (1994); Development concerning the European Court of Human Rights; the activity of the General Assembly of the United Nations (Sixth Committee) and of the International Law Commission (ILC).

The CAHDI held exchanges of views with Mr A. Gil Robles, Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr V. Mikulka, Director of Codification at the UN, Mr E. Kourula, judge at the International Criminal Court, Mr Philippe Kirsch, President of the ICC and Mr Jean Paul Costa, Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights.

The Committee adopted a preliminary opinion on Recommendation No. 1602 (2003) on Immunities of members of the Parliamentary Assembly.

The Committee continued the implementation of the Pilot Project of the Council of Europe on State practice regarding State immunities.

The CAHDI admitted the International Committee of the Red Cross as observer to the Committee.