1. English for Lawyers 3 Lecturer: Miljen Matijašević
G10, room 6/I, Tue 11:30-12:30
Session 8

2. Today’s session Revision of the last session The United Nations
Translation practice

3. Revision of the last session
The Legal Character of International Law

4. Answer the questions
What are some of the areas that public international law regulates?
What are the primary sources of PIL?
What is the difference between a treaty and a convention?
What does it mean to: adopt, sign, ratify, and accede to a treaty?
What do you know about the principles concerning the conclusion of treaties from the Vienna Convention?
What do you know about the composition and jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice?

5. The United Nations
Unit 26

6. The United Nations
international organisation facilitating co- operation in international law, prevention of war, promoting human rights, economic and social development, social progress and world peace
founded on 24 October 1945 with the ratification of the Charter of the United Nations, signed at the UN Conference in Internation Organization in San Francisco (June 1945)

7. The United Nations - origins
The League of Nations
founded immediately after WW1
headquarters: Geneva, Switzerland
main aim – to prevent another world war
in addition: promoted social and economic progress, global health, suppression of drug and human trafficking

8. The United Nations - origins
The League of Nations
had no military forces, used arbitration and negotiation instead
at its peak had 58 member countries (the USA never a member)
disintegrated as WW2 started

9. The United Nations
193 member states (nearly all sovereign nations of the world)
headquarters: New York City, NY, USA
offices also in Geneva, Vienna, Nairobi

10. The Aims of the United Nations
to keep peace throughout the world
to develop friendly relations between nations
to work together to help people live better lives, to eliminate poverty, disease and illiteracy in the world, to stop environmental destruction and to encourage respect for each other's rights and freedoms
to be a centre for helping nations achieve these aims
2000 United Nations Publications

11. The Principles of the United Nations
all Member States have sovereign equality
all Member States must obey the Charter
countries must try to settle their differences by peaceful means
countries must avoid using force or threatening to use force
the UN may not interfere in the domestic affairs of any country
countries should try to assist the United Nations
2000 United Nations Publications

12. The United Nations six official languages: English French Arabic
Chinese
Russian
Spanish

13. The United Nations consists of six principal organs: General Assembly
Security Council
Economic and Social Council
Secretariat
International Court of Justice (in The Hague)
Trusteeship Council (inactive)
also: specialised institutions

14. The United Nations specialised agencies:
World Health Organisation (WHO)
Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO)
World Bank
United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
International Monetary Fund (IMF)
UN’s Children Fund (UNICEF)
etc.

15. The United Nations
General Assembly

16. The United Nations General Assembly
main deliberative, policymaking and representative body of the UN
a forum of multilateral discussion under the Charter
meets in yearly sessions (Sep-Dec)
one state – one vote
resolutions of the UN not binding on the members, except budgetary matters

17. The United Nations
Security Council

18. The United Nations Security Council
body in charge of maintaining world peace and security
five permanent members: China, France, Russia, the UK and the USA (veto power)
ten non-permanent members (voted for two- year terms)
power to issue binding decisions that Member States have agreed to abide by in the Charter

19. The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC)
promotes intrenational economic and social co-operation and development
has 54 members voted by the General Council for a three-year term
meets once a year
co-ordinates special bodies
meets with representatives of IMF and WB

20. The United Nations Secretariat
carries out day-to-day work of the organisation
provides services for UN bodies
carries out studies, gathers information
implements programmes and policies (e.g. peacekeeping operations)
helps resolve international disputes
organises conferences
translates documents
acts as a PR for the UN

21. The United Nations Secretariat headed by Secretary-General
currently: Ban Ki-moon (took over from Kofi Annan in 2007)
chief officer of the UN
can draw the attention of the Security Council to “any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security”, under the UN Charter

22. The United Nations not a homogenous body
usually slow decision-making process, particularly in the area of peacekeeping and international relations
long time to achieve consensus
both global and national interests considered
treaties often abided by owing to pressure from the media and the public

23. Translation practice
Statute of the International Court of Justice

24. Translation practice
Read and translate the following excerpts from the Statute of the International Court of Justice, which forms a constituent part of the Charter of the United Nations.

25. Chapter II – Competence of the Court
Article The jurisdiction of the Court comprises all cases which the parties refer to it and all matters specially provided for in the Charter of the United Nations or in treaties and conventions in force. 2. The states parties to the present Statute may at any time declare that they recognize as compulsory ipso facto and without special agreement, in relation to any other state accepting the same obligation, the jurisdiction of the Court in all legal disputes concerning: a. the interpretation of a treaty; b. any question of international law; c. the existence of any fact which, if established, would constitute a breach of an international obligation; d. the nature or extent of the reparation to be made for the breach of an international obligation. (…)

26. Chapter II – Competence of the Court
Article The Court, whose function is to decide in accordance with international law such disputes as are submitted to it, shall apply: a. international conventions, whether general or particular, establishing rules expressly recognized by the contesting states; b. international custom, as evidence of a general practice accepted as law; c. the general principles of law recognized by civilized nations; d. subject to the provisions of Article 59, judicial decisions and the teachings of the most highly qualified publicists of the various nations, as subsidiary means for the determination of rules of law. 2. This provision shall not prejudice the power of the Court to decide a case ex aequo et bono, if the parties agree thereto. Article 59 The decision of the Court has no binding force except between the parties and in respect of that particular case.

27. Thank you for your attention!