The Strategic Use of International Law by the United Nations Security Council

The book offers insights on whether international law can shape the politics of the Security Council and conversely, the extent to which the latter contribute to the development of international law. By providing a systematic analysis of the quantity and quality of international legal instruments referred to in the text of resolutions, the book reconstructs patterns of the Security Council's behavioural regularities and assesses them against the provisions of the United Nations Charter, which establishes its mandate. The analysis is divided into three periods the origins and Cold War period, post-Cold War period and the twenty-first century and assesses the resolutions passed in each period by thematic category. The book argues that while international law plays an important role in shaping the politics of the Security Council, the Council's resolutions do not contribute significantly to the development of international law.

Provides the first comprehensive analysis of Security Council's practice from a legal perspective Presents an original database aimed at facilitating the reader to discern what 'is' and what 'ought to be' in Security Council's practice Cross analysis of the text of resolutions by selected periods of time and categories equips the reader with an easy to follow tool for understanding the legal underpinnings of the politics of the Security Council Enriches existent scholarly literature by advancing the theory of Security Council's self-imposed duties Includes supplementary material: sn.pub/extras

Inhalt

1. Introduction.- 2. Overview of Security Council Powers.- 3. Analysis of Security Council's Practice.- 4. The Age of International Law in Security Council's Practice.- 5. Security Council Resolutions and Selection Bias.- 6. The Future Ahead.