last update:19 November 2002
 

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.

 
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).

 

 

*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.
 


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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