We take this opportunity to share with our readership the completion of a transition process, which the Netherlands Yearbook of International Law (NYIL) has undergone during the past few years. The results of the transition process first became visible with the introduction of a new cover for volume 41 (2010), when Springer-Verlag got involved in the Yearbook, resulting in a cooperative endeavor between T.M.C. Asser Press, Cambridge University Press, and Springer-Verlag. During the transition period four important substantive decisions were taken by the Editorial Board: the introduction of a specific theme for every volume of the NYIL, the removal of the ‘Documentation’ section, the introduction of a new section in the book entitled ‘Dutch Practice in International Law’, and the introduction of double-blind peer review. Each decision is briefly explained below. Starting with volume 41 (2010) specific themes were introduced to encourage debate by addressing a topic from different perspectives. Volume 41 (2010) focused on the theme of ‘Necessity Across International Law’; volume 42 (2011) addressed the topic ‘Agora: The Case of Iraq: International Law and Politics’. The present volume focuses on ‘Legal Equality and the International Rule of Law: Essays in honour of P. H. Kooijmans’ and volume 44 (2013) will consider ‘Crisis and International Law: Decoy or Catalyst?’. Future themes will be announced on the T.M.C. Asser Press website (www.asser.nl/yearbooks). The Editorial Board encourages the submission of unsolicited manuscripts on the annual topic. For further information, please, contact Dr. Monika Ambrus, Managing Editor of the NYIL at nyil@asser.nl or m.ambrus@asser.nl where manuscripts may also be submitted.