Short Essay on the International Law – Peace and security are important for human development and an environment of calm and mutual cooperation has to be developed for peaceful international co-existence.
International law is a term given to such laws that are mutually agreed upon by the sovereign nations of the world. However, one feature which is a part of all other laws except International Law is the element of applicability of domestic law.
In other words, there is no authority in the world that can enforce International Law the way domestic laws are enforced across the, globe. United Nations is a body constituted primarily to ensure world peace and observance of International Law has stood helpless on numerous occasions, the most recent instance being the Iraq war.
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After the birth of United Nations in the year 1945 various branches of International law were created and the international legal arrangements were made for the reference of disputes and legal co-ordination among States.
The conventions, covenants, agreements, declarations and resolutions of the international bodies like, United Nations Organisation, European Union, African and American Union influence the issues to serve the purpose of the International law.
However, though International Law has gained ground it is still a long way before we could really depend upon it for the preservation of world peace.
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The Charter of United Nations, 1945 provides for the settlement of disputes by peaceful resolution in the manner without endangering world peace, security or justice.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) is an important judicial organ of the United Nations, but enforcing the decisions of the ICJ is a tricky area and on more than one occasion the judgment of the Court was disregarded.
International law, despite having evolved a great deal in the recent past, has not been able to protect the infirm from the powerful.
It would not be too far from the truth to say that International Law has, on many occasions failed, to protect the weak from the powerful.