The International Law Association (ILA) was established in 1873 in Brussels, with the belief that international law is key to peace, justice and development in a globalised world. Today, the ILA has over 4,700 members, 63 Branches, 22 active Committees and over 11 Study Groups. It has consultative status, as an international non-governmental organisation, with a number of the United Nations specialised agencies. The main objectives of the ILA are the study, clarification and development of both public and private international law. The ILA's membership ranges from lawyers in private practice, academia, government and the judiciary, to non-lawyer experts from commercial, industrial and financial spheres and representatives of industry bodies.