International Law Lecture Series (April): Foreign Policy Implications of Treaty Law
RRU Centre for International Law
Motto - Assess, Analyse, and Adapt emerging perspectives of International Law.
The RRU Centre for International Law at Rashtriya Raksha University hosted the International Law Lecture Series (April) at the School of International Cooperation, Security, and Strategic Languages on the Topic Foreign Policy Implications of Treaty Law. The distinguished speaker, Mr. Jeremy Hill, with more than four decades of experience as a diplomat and expertise in international law and treaty affairs, enlightened the participants about treaty law and practice in general, emphasizing the role of treaties as an instrument of foreign policy. Treaties aid in promoting international cooperation, the rule of law, and binding obligations.
Mr. Jeremy reiterated that the 1980s witnessed a sudden rise in the number of treaty negotiations and registrations, especially in the fields of human rights and the environment. However, he highlighted the trend of a decline in the practice of states entering into bilateral treaties and an increase in non-legally binding instruments. The trend is primarily due to two reasons. First, the majority of legal areas are already covered by various treaties, and new areas are relatively low. Second, complexities due to different legal traditions and rigid procedures set by domestic law make the executive resort to an "easier effective option."
The speaker also shed light on the difficulties faced by the UK in renegotiating agreements and treaties after Brexit. The one-hour interactive session included a question-and-answer session.
Assistant Professor (Research) at Rashtriya Raksha University, India * Research Assistant to UN ILC Member * LL.M in Transnational Crime & Justice
1 年An informative session, leaving food for thought. The increase in the practice of states entering into non-legal binding instruments may have two major implications. First, it dilutes the objectives of Art. 102 of the UN Charter which aims at ensuring transparency in international relations. Given the non-binding nature of instruments, it is out of the requirement of registration and publication. Second, it bypasses the 'checks and balance' mechanism provided in the domestic legal system, as non-legal binding instruments may be entered by the executive bypassing the requirement of deliberation in the legislature or parliament. The question is whether the new trend is a threat to peace and security?