International law

The United Nations is responsible for the peaceful resolution of international conflicts. The International Court of Justice is its principal judicial organ.

Mission of the United Nations

The United Nations Charter calls on the Organization to

• promote the judicial settlement of disputes between states
• encourage the development and codification of international law.

The General Assembly is authorized to establish subsidiary organs for the performance of these functions. The reports of these subsidiary organs are debated in the Sixth Committee, which recommends actions to be taken by the Assembly.

International Court of Justice

The International Court of Justice was created in 1946 as the principal judicial organ of the United Nations. The Court of Justice settles disputes submitted to it by States and also gives advisory opinions on legal questions.

Work of the UN in International Law

An important part of the political process in the United Nations is to establish or expand international laws, regulations and standards across all areas of activity. This includes giving significant contributions to the expansion of the legal framework for the relationship of states to each other through codification and development of international law.

The United Nations has sponsored hundreds of multilateral agreements, covering a range of subject matters including human rights, disarmament, commodities, refugees, the environment and the law of the sea. These treaties are binding to the countries that ratify them.

• International Law at the UN website.
• The United Nations Juridical Yearbook includes material of legal nature concerning the United Nations and related intergovernmental organizations. Extracts from the Yearbook are posted at the UN website: Codification and Progressive Development of International Law.
• Repertory of Practice of United Nations Organs provides a legal interpretation of the decisions of the United Nations under each of the Articles of the UN Charter. It is posted online at the UN website.
• The rule of law is a top priority on the international agenda. United Nations and the Rule of Law is a web-based resource serving as a gateway to various UN entities, tools, documents and reports on the subject.
• UN Treaty Series (UNTS) contains all UN treaties in print from 1946 onwards.
• The Audiovisual Library of International Law is a multimedia resource which provides high quality international law training and research materials. It consists of three parts:
  • Historic Archives with significant documents adopted under the auspices of the United Nations since 1945;
  • Lecture Series with lectures by leading international law scholars;
  • Research Library linking to treaties, jurisprudence, documents and publications, scholarly writings and research guides.

• Yearbook of the International Law Commission (ILC). Vol. I contains the meeting records of the ILC. Vol. II reproduces texts of major reports produced during the year, including the annual report to the General Assembly.
• More on International Law and United Nations in the research guide of dag Hammarskjöld library, New York.
• For documentation on human rights, see DagDok: section Human Rights.