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By its resolution 44/23 of 17 November 1989, the
General Assembly declared the period 1990-1999 to be the United
Nations Decade of International Law. The main purposes of the Decade
were, inter alia: (a) To promote acceptance of and respect
for the principles of international law; (b) To promote means and
methods for the peaceful settlement of disputes between States,
including resort to and full respect for the International Court
of Justice; (c) To encourage the progressive development of international
law and its codification; (d) To encourage the teaching, study,
dissemination and wider appreciation of international law.1
Several major developments
in international law occured under the auspices of the United Nations
during the period of the Decade of International Law. These ranged
from the negotiation and adoption of several key international treaties
in such areas as international environmental law, international
economic law, international criminal law and the legal regulation
of international terrorism, to the creation of new international
organizations and entities. In addition, significant advances were
made in several long term projects in the codification and progressive
development of international law, including that of State responsibility
and national in relation to the succession of States.
In short, the period 1990-1999 has since become
synonomous with, to name but a few key events, the 1992 United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development; the establishment of
the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; and the
commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Charter of the
United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention
on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and of
the 1949 Geneva Conventions. It will also be remembered for the
establishment of the two ad hoc international criminal tribunals
for Yugoslavia and Rwanda, respectively, and for the holding of
the 1998 Diplomatic Conference of Plenipotentiaries on the Establishment
of the International Criminal Court, resulting in the adoption of
the the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. In its
resolution 54/28 17 November 1999, the General Assembly referred
to the significant achievements in the development and promotion
of international law which occurred during the Decade, which had
contributed to the strengthening of the rule of international law,
and reaffirmed the continued validity of the main objectives of
the Decade, the fulfilment of which was essential to achieving the
purposes of the United Nations.
Under resolution 54/28,
the Assembly expressed its appreciation to the Office of Legal Affairs
for the establishment of various Internet web sites, noted the intention
of the Office to prepare a publication highlighting the work accomplished
during the Decade, and invited States and international organizations
to continue encouraging the publication of books or other materials
on subjects of international law.
The Codification Division of the Office of Legal
Affairs has since prepared a series of summaries, organized by topic,
describing the key developments in international law that took place
during 1990-1999, under the auspices of the United Nations. The
summaries are largely limited to developments that took place during
the Decade of International Law (1990-1999) and are focused on the
activities of the General Assembly and, to a lesser degree, those
of the ECOSOC and the Security Council. Developments in the context
of the International Court of Justice have (with some exceptions)
not been included as they are exhaustively covered elsewhere. Similarly,
no attempt was made to cover the activities of the Specialized Agencies
of the United Nations. Each chapter can be viewed by clicking on
the corresponding link.
No attempt was made at providing a substantive
evaluation and analysis of the events in question. Instead, these
summaries are offered by way of a brief historical record of each
event, for the benefit of delegations, and in the hope that they
will encourage a wider appreciation of international law, as called
for by the General Assembly.
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1. At its forty-fifth session, the General Assembly
adopted the programme for the activities to be commenced during the
first term (1990 - 1992) of the Decade (resolution 45/40, annex).
Subsequently at its forty-seventh, forty-ninth and fifty-first sessions,
the Assembly adopted the programmes for the activities for the second
term (1993 - 1994), the third term (1995 - 1996) and the final term
(1997 - 1999) of the Decade (resolutions 47/32, 49/50 and 51/157,
respectively). |
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*Forthcoming |
Note: Additional chapters relating
to crime prevention, international economic law, international
terrorism, reservations to treaties, State responsibility and
other topics will be added in due course. |
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General Assembly Resolutions:
- 1999 (Res.
54/28):
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1998 (Res.
53/100):
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1997 (Res.
52/153):
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1996 (Res.
51/157):
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1995 (Res.
50/44):
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1994 (Res.
49/50):
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1993 (Res.
48/30):
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1992 (Res.
47/32):
(E,
F, S, R, C, A)
- 1991 (Res.
46/53):
(E,
F, S, R, C, A)
- 1990 (Res.
45/40):
(E,
F, S, R, C, A)
- 1989 (Res.
44/23):
(E,
F, S, R, C, A)
Secretary-
General Reports:
- 1999: (A/54/362)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
and
(A/54/362/Add.1)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1998:
(A/53/332)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
and (A/53/332/Add.1)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1997: (A/52/363)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1996: (A/51/278)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
and (A/51/278/Add.1)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1995:(A/50/368)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
and (A/50/368/Add.1)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
and (A/50/368/Add.2)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
and (A/50/368/Add.3)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1994: (A/49/323)
(E,
F,
S, R,
C,
A)
and (A/49/323/Add.1)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
and (A/49/323/Add.2)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C,
A)
- 1993: (A/48/312)
(E,
F,
S,
R,
C, A)
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