International Entities and International Law

United Nations is an international organization of countries set up in 1945 in succession to the League of Nations, to promote international peace security and cooperation, with its headquarters in New York. Its members, originally the countries that fought against the Axis in the Second World War, now number about 180 states. The UNO includes most sovereign states of the world, with the exception of Switzerland, North and South Korea.

Administration is by the Secretariat, headed by the Secretary - General. The chief deliberative body is the General Assembly, in which each member state has one vote; recommendations are passed but the UNO has no power to impose its will. The Security Council bears the primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security. One of the principal organs of the UNO is the 54-member Economic and Social council, dealing with UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the agency of the UN set up in 1945 to promote the exchange of information, ideas and culture. Its headquarters are in Paris.

International Court of Justice, principal judicial organ of the United Nations, established by chapter 14 of the UN Charter. It superseded the Permanent Court of International Justice, and its statute for the most part repeats that of the former tribunal. The court consists of 15 judges appointed for a 9 year term chosen by the General Assembly and the Security Council, voting independently, from a list of candidates nominated by government-appointed national groups of international-law experts. No two judges may be from the same country. Nine judges constitute a quorum, and questions are decided by a majority of the judges present. The permanent seat of the court is at The Hague, the Netherlands, but it may hold hearings elsewhere. All members of the United Nations are ipso facto members of the court; other states may adhere to the statute. If a member of the United Nations fails to comply with a judgment of the court, an appeal for assistance may be made to the Security Council. The court may render judgment in certain disputes between states, and with the authorization of the General Assembly, it may deliver advisory opinions to any organ of the United Nations and its agencies.

A dispute may be brought before the court by consent of the parties in the particular case or by virtue of an advance formal declaration of acceptance of the court's jurisdiction. States making such declarations, however, sometimes impose restrictive conditions on their acceptance. The United States excludes all disputes concerning domestic matters from the court's jurisdiction, reserving the right to determine what it regards as domestic. The court's competence between states is limited to disputes concerning the interpretation of treaties, questions of international law, breaches of international obligation, and reparations due. Concern has been expressed at the small number of cases nations have submitted to it. Major opinions of the court have ruled that the General Assembly may not admit a state to the United Nations if the application is vetoed by one of the permanent members of the Security Council; that the United Nations is to be considered as an international legal person; that special United Nations assessments, such as those for the Congo and Middle East operations, are regular expenses of the United Nations and are binding on all members; and that South Africa must withdraw from Namibia (accomplished with Namibia's independence in 1990).

The International Law Commission was established in 1947. It has prepared drafts on numbers of topics of International Law.

By its nature International Law is a common concern of all states, a product of legal culture, thought and experience of different societies.

International Law consists of rules which govern the relations and dealings of nations with each other. It can refer to public international law, private international law, private international law or conflict of laws and the law of supranational organizations. International law includes the basic, classic concepts of law in national legal systems - status, property, obligation and tort (or delict). It also includes substantive law, procedure, process and remedies.

International Law is still young. Until the XlX-th century it was essentially a European and largely a West European phenomenon (development). It is partly customary and partly conventional.

Customary law reflects a consensus among nations. Conventional law is the part of International Law which is established by conventions or treaties.