75 Years of International Law-Making at the United Nations

Abstract

For the last 75 years, the UN has been placed at the centre of international law-making. The Organization can be considered both as a place where international law is discussed, made and interpreted by its Member States and as a proper actor, with its own international legal personality, voice and practice, engaged in the creation and implementation of international law. This article considers the extraordinary position of the UN in providing a unique contribution to the development, codification and implementation of international law in branches ranging from the law of treaties to the legal principles governing the protection and preservation of the marine environment or the criminal accountability for graves violations of international humanitarian law. On its 75th anniversary, the Organization has demonstrated its flexibility and adaptability to the changing priorities and concerns of the international community and facilitated the commitment of its Member States to multilateralism and the principles enshrined in the Charter signed on 26 June 1945 in San Francisco. Indeed, the outlook for the next 25 years of international law-making at the UN looks brighter than it may at first appear.