The Common Heritage of Mankind: Then and Now by M. C . W. Pinto. The course first presents an outline of the origins and development of the idea that territory and resources not subject to State jurisdiction could be internationally recognized as the "common heritage of mankind". It then proceeds to describe how some 160 countries represented at the Third United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea (1974-1982) negotiated agreement on a regime to govern the seabed and ocean floor beyond the limits of national jurisdiction as the "common heritage of mankind", and on the establishment of...

Domestic Application of International Law, by Y. Iwasawa, Professor at the University of Tokyo; This course examines theoretical and practical problems involved in the application of international law in domestic law comprehensively and critically. Special focus is given to the problem of direct applicability or self-executing character of international law. The text offers a framework which will enhance the understanding of the role of international law in domestic law and facilitate its application in domestic law. It puts forward such propositions as the following among others....

Chance, Order, Change: The Course of International Law, General Course on Public International Law by J. Crawford The course of international law over time needs to be understood if international law is to be understood. This work aims to provide such an understanding. It is directed not at topics or subject headings -- sources, treaties, states, human rights and so on -- but at some of the key unresolved problems of the discipline. Unresolved, they call into question its status as a discipline. Is international law "law" properly so-called ? In what respects is it systematic ? Does it -- can...

"Trusts" in Private International Law by David Hayton. The course first deals with What is a 'trust' in the global arena ? because the concept has developed from English trusts that create proprietary rights binding third parties to complex offshore trusts with additional flexible features and to trusts in civil law and mixed jurisdictions that confer on beneficiaries a specially preferred obligation in respect of particular property. Once this range affecting the family and the commercial sphere is understood, it is possible properly to go on to deal with Trusts Jurisdiction...

Transaction Planning Using Rules on Jurisdiction and the Recognition and Enforcement of Judgments by Ronald A. Brand, Professor at the University of Pittsburgh: Private international law is normally discussed in terms of rules applied in litigation involving parties from more than one State. Those same rules are fundamentally important, however, to those who plan crossborder commercial transactions with a desire to avoid having a dispute arise -- or at least to place a party in the best position possible if a dispute does arise. This makes rules regarding jurisdiction, applicable law, and the...

The United Nations and International Law-Making by Mahnoush H. Arsanjani The original design of the United Nations Charter maintained the classic model of international law making by treaty. In that mode, the participating States retain control over the substance of the agreement and its applicability to them. The subsequent expansion of the scope of functions of the United Nations, along with the extraordinary growth of the activities of non-governmental entities, has significantly altered the classic model: the role of States has diminished while the role of expert bodies,...

La creativite du droit international. Cours general de droit international public, par S. Sur, professeur a l'Universite Paris-II (Pantheon-Assas). Le droit international ne change qu'en apparence. Sa creativite resulte de l'exploitation de ses multiples virtualites, sans modifier sa structure ni ses principes. Il reste fidele a ses fondements, inseparables de l'Etat et de sa souverainete. Les trois constituent un triangle indissociable. Son mode d'etre et son developpement reposent toujours sur la matrice de l'article 38 du Statut de la Cour internationale de Justice, qui contient...

L'article 103 de la Charte des Nations Unies, par R. Kolb, professeur a l'Universite de geneve L'article 103 de la Charte des Nations Unies touche a la priorite, pour les membres de l'Organisation, des obligations en vertu de la Charte des Nations Unies par rapport aux obligations decoulant de tout autre accord. Cette disposition a constamment gagne en importance dans la pratique internationale et nationale de ces dernieres annees. On pense evidemment a la concurrence entre les regimes de sanction des Nations Unies par rapport aux obligations contenues dans des traites de droits de...

The Law of Global Governance by Eyal Benvenisti The lectures argue that the decision-making processes within international organizations and other global governance bodies ought to be subjected to procedural and substantive legal constraints that are associated domestically with the requirements of the rule of law. They explain why law -- international, regional, domestic, formal or soft -- should restrain global actors in the same way that judicial oversight is applied to domestic administrative agencies. They outlines the emerging web of global norms designed to protect the...

La competence universelle civile, par A. Bucher, professeur honoraire de l'Universite de Geneve: La competence universelle a preoccupe la communaute internationale surtout sous l'angle de la repression penale. Le droit international n'a guere developpe le soutien politique et l'arsenal juridique servant a la protection directe et individuelle des victimes de graves atteintes a leur dignite humaine. On a dit que celles-ci ne disposeraient pas d'un droit de reparation a faire valoir a l'encontre de l'Etat responsable. Ces temps ont change. En sus de l'indemnisation, les victimes doivent avoir...