The UN General Assembly

The UN General Assembly

Author: M.J. Peterson

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2006-04-27

Total Pages: 180

ISBN-13: 1134288506

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

The United Nations General Assembly is arguably the most important discussion forum in global politics. This is a concise and accessible introduction to its history, organization and politics. Examining the development of the Assembly as a forum for improving international cooperation, this study details its development of shared norms and goals in the political context of the immediate post-World War II era. The Assembly has had to adapt quickly to the Cold War, the South-North contentions over development, the dissolution of the Soviet bloc and the rise in concern about terrorism. This study also presents a fascinating look ahead to three potential futures: a world of states, a world government, and a world of network governance. To flourish in any of these contexts it shows how the practices of the institution will require considerable change. The common criticisms of the Assembly are also covered in depth, such as that it is just a talking shop; that it is hamstrung by the Security Council and that it benefits the rich at the expense of the poor. This is an ideal book for students of the United Nations, international organizations and global governance.


International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly

International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly

Author: Ramsden, Michael

Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing

Published: 2021-07-31

Total Pages: 256

ISBN-13: 178811938X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly probes the role that the UN’s plenary body has played in developing international criminal law and addressing country-specific impunity gaps. It covers the General Assembly’s norm-making capabilities, its judicial and investigatory functions, and the legal effect of its recommendations. With talk of a ‘new Cold War’ and growing levels of plenary activism in the face of Security Council deadlock, this book will make for timely and essential reading for all in the field of international criminal justice.


The Legal Significance of the Declarations of the General Assembly of the United Nations

The Legal Significance of the Declarations of the General Assembly of the United Nations

Author: Obed Y. Asamoah

Publisher: Springer

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 9401194955

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Mr. Asamoah's book is concerned with an area of growing importance in the evolution of contemporary international law. The traditional division of the sources of International law into custom and treaties has already been supplemented in Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice by the "general principles of law re cognized by civilized nations" and-as subsidiary sources, the judicial decisions and the teachings of highly qualified publicists. But in order to cope with the diversity of international law in our time, we have to look to a far greater variety of sources of international law, and we shall have to recognize that, in accordance with the many-sided character of international law, these sources may vary greatly in intensity. In recent years, Declaratory Resolutions of the General Assembly have been much concerned with the general princi ples of international law. Sometimes these Declarations are interpre tations of the Charter and other instruments; sometimes they are evi dence of state practice and a developing customary international law ; sometimes they formulate new principles which, in some cases will eventually lead to international treaties or new custom, or in other cases will be accepted as authorative statements of international legal principles, in circumstances where a formal treaty cannot be attained. There are many reasons--often of an internal character-which prevent the conclusion of a treaty but not the acceptance of the principles contained in it.


Transforming the United Nations System

Transforming the United Nations System

Author: Joseph E. Schwartzberg

Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Published: 2016-09-02

Total Pages: 406

ISBN-13: 9280871994

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

Global problems require global solutions. The United Nations as presently constituted, however, is incapable of addressing many global problems effectively. One nation– one vote decisionmaking in most UN agencies fails to reflect the distribution of power in the world at large, while the allocation of power in the Security Council is both unfair and anachronistic. Hence, nations are reluctant to endow the United Nations with the authority and the resources it needs. Extensive reform is essential. This analysis is rooted in the proposition that the design of decisionmaking systems greatly affects their legitimacy and effectiveness. Joseph Schwartzberg proposes numerous systemic improvements to the UN system, largely through weighted voting formulas that balance the needs of shareholders and stakeholders in diverse agencies. It indicates ways in which the interests of regions can supplement those of nations while voices of nongovernmental organizations and ordinary citizens can also be heard. In numerous contexts, it promotes meritocracy and gender equity. The book's aim is not to create an unrealistic utopia, but rather to establish a workable world in which the force of law supplants the law of force; a world committed to justice and continuous yet sustainable development. The author argues that, given the many existential threats now confronting our planet, the time frame for decisive action is short. The task is daunting and success is not guaranteed, but in view of the urgency of our situation, we can find ways of mustering the will, imagination, and resources to do the job.


The United Nations Genocide Convention

The United Nations Genocide Convention

Author: Samuel Totten

Publisher: University of Toronto Press

Published: 2020

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13: 1487524080

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

THE UNCG is a complicated piece of international law. This book, authored by two experts on the topic of genocide, enables readers to more accurately analyze these horrific events.


A Commentary on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

A Commentary on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child

Author: Sharon Detrick

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2023-12-18

Total Pages: 836

ISBN-13: 9004638695

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This book provides a commentary on the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations on 20 November 1989. Part One contains a general introduction to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and deals with matters such as the drafting history, the contents, direct application, horizontal effects, limitations, the Committee on the Rights of the Child, and the Convention's final provisions. Part Two contains an article-by-article commentary, the aim of which is not to give an interpretation of the precise nature and scope of States parties' obligations but, rather, to identify the materials, or sources, which provide guidance in that regard. In the identification of such materials, attention has been paid to the general rules of treaty interpretation, as set forth in the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.


Israel's Moment

Israel's Moment

Author: Jeffrey Herf

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2022-02-03

Total Pages: 519

ISBN-13: 1316517969

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

A new account of support for and opposition to Zionist aspirations in Palestine in the United States and Europe from 1945 to 1949.


The United Nations Security Council and War

The United Nations Security Council and War

Author: Vaughan Lowe

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2010-04-15

Total Pages: 816

ISBN-13: 0191614939

DOWNLOAD EBOOK

This is the first major exploration of the United Nations Security Council's part in addressing the problem of war, both civil and international, since 1945. Both during and after the Cold War the Council has acted in a limited and selective manner, and its work has sometimes resulted in failure. It has not been - and was never equipped to be - the centre of a comprehensive system of collective security. However, it remains the body charged with primary responsibility for international peace and security. It offers unique opportunities for international consultation and military collaboration, and for developing legal and normative frameworks. It has played a part in the reduction in the incidence of international war in the period since 1945. This study examines the extent to which the work of the UN Security Council, as it has evolved, has or has not replaced older systems of power politics and practices regarding the use of force. Its starting point is the failure to implement the UN Charter scheme of having combat forces under direct UN command. Instead, the Council has advanced the use of international peacekeeping forces; it has authorized coalitions of states to take military action; and it has developed some unanticipated roles such as the establishment of post-conflict transitional administrations, international criminal tribunals, and anti-terrorism committees. The book, bringing together distinguished scholars and practitioners, draws on the methods of the lawyer, the historian, the student of international relations, and the practitioner. It begins with an introductory overview of the Council's evolving roles and responsibilities. It then discusses specific thematic issues, and through a wide range of case studies examines the scope and limitations of the Council's involvement in war. It offers frank accounts of how belligerents viewed the UN, and how the Council acted and sometimes failed to act. The appendices provide comprehensive information - much of it not previously brought together in this form - of the extraordinary range of the Council's activities. This book is a project of the Oxford Leverhulme Programme on the Changing Character of War.