Week 1 PIL Lecture
PIL Definition.
PIL consists of rules and principles that regulates the relations between states and
other entities, provided they have international legal personality
1. Between States
2. Between States and other entities possessing international legal personality
3. Covering a range of activities
- i.e. international agreements, diplomatic relations, trade, protection of human
rights and conduct of armed conflict
PIL History
1648 – Peace of Westphalia1
- Series of peace treaties marking the end of the religious Thirty Years War
- The birth of the modern State – territorial units as equal sovereigns
17th century – Hugo Grotius naturalist
Father of international law
Author of international law’s most important texts
- The law of armed conflict and aggression
- Binding force of treaties
- Freedom of seas
Two theories on international law
Natural law
- Law is not made, but found
- Universal values existing by nature and can be found through human reasoning
Positive law
- Law is not given, but man-made
- Law is made by sovereign (States) and can be found in treaties and customary
law
Peace of Westphalia marks the beginning of modern international law
Creation of modern sovereign States
Use of treaties to regulate interaction between States
Emergence of international organizations
- i.e. Universal Postal Union (1874), International Committee of Red Cross
(1863), Permanent Court of Arbitration (1899)
Main focus on Europe Colonization outside Europe
1
In exam
, Outbreak of WWI
After WWII
Establishment of the League of Nations, based in Geneva
To secure international peace
Permanent Court of International Justice in The Hague
However: WWII
The UN established with its main objective being protecting and restoring
international peace and security
PIL – UN
Six organs of the UN Art. 7 UN Charter
1. General Assembly
2. Security Council
3. Economic and Social Council
4. Trusteeship Council
5. International Court of Justice
6. Secretariat
1. General Assembly Chapter 4 UN Charter
All UN MS have a seat in the GA The representative body of the UN
Can only adopt non-binding measures On a wide range of issues, i.e. political,
economic, humanitarian, social or legal matters.
2. Security Council Chapter 5 UN Charter
15 Members
- 5 Permanent members with a VETO China, France, UK, USA and Russia
- 10 non-permanent members elected for a two-year period
The only UN body with the power to adopt binding resolution
- Chapter 7 resolution
- In cases where there is a threat or breach of international peace and security, or
an act of aggression Article 39 UN Charter
5. International Court of Justice Chapter 16 UN Charter
Consent-based jurisdiction to settle disputes between states
- ONLY States
- Binding decision Which were involved into the case.
Advisory jurisdiction to advice UN organs on a legal question
- ONLY UN Organs
- Binding decision? Not binding because it is an opinion.
,PIL - UN
Cold War
- The world divided into two blocks
- No armed violence, yet a failure of collective security
- Security Council paralyzed, unable to adopt a resolution and to act effectively
Decolonization
- UN Special Committee on Decolonization
- Allowing a process of self-determination of peoples
- Largely completed, still few territories waiting to be decolonized
International law today
Growing interdependence of States, international organizations and multinationals
Emerging fields of international law
- i.e. international criminal law, human rights, climate change law
Growing number of international organizations
- CoE, EU, AU, OAS, NATO
- But also, judicial bodies, i.e. ICC, ACtHR, ECtHR, ITLOS, ICTY, STL
, Workshop 1
Question: What is international legal personality
Structure of international law
International law of coexistence
- Contains the answers required to separate the powers of sovereign states and uphold
peaceful coexistence
- Interaction between states
- Ensure that states can pursue their different and separate interests and still respect the
sovereignty of other states
- Delamination of territory; criteria of statehood, recognition of new states, use of force
International law of cooperation
- Contains the legal answers to issues that are not inherently of interest to two or more states
but are matters of international concerns
- Treaties
- IHL, IEL, EU Law.
Monism and dualism2
Nicaragua Judgement
- Concerning military and paramilitary activities in and against Nicaragua
- Breaches mentioned in para 15
Lecture 2
Theory of Sources
2
Exam question