The Law of the United Nations
Full course description
Central to this course is the participation in simulations concerning an ongoing international dispute. Students will receive a fictional case and will be required to act on behalf of states as the facts develop. On behalf of their states, students will seek to achieve a peaceful resolution to the dispute by engaging with the primary legal organs of the UN. This course builds upon the skills and knowledge acquired by students in the two prerequisite courses. Students will work extensively with the core legal materials of the UN within the context of its different organs. Emphasis is placed on the actual functioning of these bodies in the context of the resolution of international disputes.
After learning about the history, structure, and legal nature of the UN, students will study in detail three of the UN’s principal organs: the Security Council, the General Assembly, and the International Court of Justice. The course covers the technical and procedural aspects of the UN, its role in dealing with contemporary disputes, and its broader impact on the international legal system.
Course objectives
In this course, students will learn about the legal framework and main organs of the United Nations (UN). Through lecture, traditional PBL- focused tutorials, and simulations, students will acquire detailed knowledge of how the principal legal organs of the UN – the General Assembly (Sixth Committee), the Security Council, and the International Court of Justice – work in practice. Students will learn about the centrality of the UN in the international legal system, explore its interaction with other international institutions, and consider scope for its reform.
Prerequisites
SSC1007 Introduction to Law and Legal Reasoning; SSC2024 International Law.
Recommended reading
- There is no required textbook and readings are – whenever possible – made available electronically.