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Analysis of Security Council’s Practice

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

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Law ((BRIEFSLAW))

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Abstract

This chapter introduces the empirical framework for assessing Security Council (SC) practice. Section 3.2 outlines the research design, including the methodology used for data collection and the reasons for selecting specific categories of SC resolutions. The remaining sections examine the extent to which the SC relies upon international law. By determining which rules of international law have been utilised by the SC in its resolutions and how they interact with each other, these sections aim to conceptualise the legal basis that justifies SC actions beyond the UN Charter provisions establishing its mandate.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Deplano (2014), p. 139.

  2. 2.

    Vargiu and Deplano (2014), pp. 520–541.

  3. 3.

    <www.un.org/en/sc/documents/> accessed 18 June 2015.

  4. 4.

    Bourandonis (2005).

  5. 5.

    Relevant sets of re-cited resolutions include: appointment of the Secretary-General, question relating to the Dominican Republic, Laos, Taiwan (Formosa), hijacking of commercial aircrafts and the Corfu Channel incidents.

  6. 6.

    Two resolutions also contain a generic reference to international conventions on the status of refugees and international law. See Res. 571(1985), para. 5; Res. 545(1983), Preamble para. 2, and para. 1 of the operative part.

  7. 7.

    See, for instance, the resolutions on the situation between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Angola and those on the International Court of Justice.

  8. 8.

    Res. 620(1988), para. 2. The set of resolutions on Iraq and Iran stands out for the variety of international legal sources referred to by the SC, which include various UN documents, international treaties, generic reference to international law and, as mentioned above in the text, CIL.

  9. 9.

    Most of the times resolutions refer to ‘international law.’ However, other resolutions contain expressions such as ‘international rights and obligations’, ‘international obligations’, ‘principles of international law’ and ‘internationally accepted norms’. See, for instance, Res. 395(1976), para. 6; Res. 568(1985), para. 6; Res. 527(1982), para. 2; Res. 580(1985), para. 4; Res. 640(1989), para. 6; and Res. 581(1986), para. 9.

  10. 10.

    Res. 487(1981), paras. 1 and 4; Res. 573(1985), para. 1; and Res. 611(1988), para. 1.

  11. 11.

    See resolutions on Namibia, South Africa, territories occupied by Israel and West Africa.

  12. 12.

    Res. 497(1981), Preamble, para. 2.

  13. 13.

    Emphasis added.

  14. 14.

    Res. 255(1968), para. 1.

  15. 15.

    Res. 42(1948), para. 2 (‘[The SC] Resolves to call on the permanent members of the Council to consult and to inform the Security Council regarding the situation with respect to Palestine and to make, as the result of such consultations, recommendations to it regarding the guidance and instructions which the Council might usefully give to the Palestine Commission with a view to implementing the resolution of the General Assembly.’ Emphasis added).

  16. 16.

    See resolutions on Cuba (complaint by), the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt (compliant by), Hungary, the situation between India and Pakistan, international peace and security and compliant by Lebanon and Jordan.

  17. 17.

    Provisions containing a generic reference to international law utilise expressions such as ‘international law’, ‘rules and principles of international law’ and ‘standards of international law’. See, Res. 1170(1998), Preamble, para. 10; Res. 1261(1999), paras. 2–3, 13, 15 and 18; and Res. 978(1995), paras. 1 and 5, respectively.

  18. 18.

    See, for example, the resolutions on Africa, Angola, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kosovo, Liberia, the Middle East, Rwanda, Sierra Leone and Somalia.

  19. 19.

    See, for instance, Res. 1213(1998), para. 7 (Angola); Res. 1319(2000), para. 3 (East Timor); Res. 1034(1995), para. 6 (Former Yugoslavia); and Res. 1270 (1999), paras. 15 and 22.

  20. 20.

    They include the group of resolutions on Angola, children and armed conflict, East Timor, Sierra Leone and the situation between Eritrea and Ethiopia.

  21. 21.

    Res. 1261(1999) and Res. 1314(2000) (children); Res. 1325(2000) (women); and Res. 1265(1999) and Res. 1296(2000).

  22. 22.

    See, for example, Res. 1314(2000), Preamble, para. 2; Res. 1304(2000), Preamble, para. 1; Res. 1332(2000), Preamble, para. 1; Res. 1327(2000), Annex, para. V-6; Res. 1270(1999), Preamble, para. 2; and Res. 1325(2000), Preamble, para. 1, and para. 12 (operative part) mentioning the thematic resolutions on civilians; Res. 1327(2000), Annex, para. V-8 mentioning the resolution on women; and Res. 1265(1999), para. 19, and Res. 1325(2000), Preamble, para. 1 mentioning the resolutions on children.

  23. 23.

    Res. 1067(1996), para. 6.

  24. 24.

    Res. 1067(1996), Preamble, para. 5.

  25. 25.

    Res. 937(1994), para. 4.

  26. 26.

    Res. 1265(1999), para. 4.

  27. 27.

    Res. 833(1993), para. 5.

  28. 28.

    Res. 1269(1999), Preamble, para. 5.

  29. 29.

    Res. 1269(1999), Preamble, para. 2.

  30. 30.

    Res. 1172(1998), para. 2 (‘[The SC] Endorses the Joint Communique issued by the Foreign Ministers of China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America at their meeting in Geneva on 4 June 1998 (S/1998/473)’).

  31. 31.

    In the UN website, resolution 1165(1998) is described as being about the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia whereas it deals with a decision about the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. See <http://www.un.org/en/sc/documents/resolutions/1998.shtml> accessed 18 June 2015. Likewise, resolution 970(1995) on Yugoslavia and Bosnia and Herzegovina contains an incorrect citation of a resolution (at para. 4).

  32. 32.

    See Chap. 5.

  33. 33.

    Res. 1733(2006).

  34. 34.

    Res. 1887(2009), para. 10; Res. 1894(2009), paras. 1 and 6; Res. 1904(2009), para. 44; Res. 1963(2010), para. 17; Res. 2009(2011), para. 11; Res. 2035(2012), Preamble, para. 15; Res. 2068(2012), para. 1; Res. 2075(2012), para. 2; Res. 2104(2013), para. 5; 2126(2013), para. 6.

  35. 35.

    Res. 1882(2009), Preamble, para. 10, and para. 7; Res. 1929(2010), paras. 6 and 16; Res. 1998(2011), para. 9; Res. 2068(2012), para. 3; Res. 2075(2012), para. 2.

  36. 36.

    Res. 2118(2013), Preamble, para. 14. Contra see Res. 1904(2009), para. 1 (establishing duties of compliance with previous SC resolutions on international terrorism for both UN members and non-member states).

  37. 37.

    Res. 1918(2010), Preamble, para. 4 (‘underscoring that resolution 1897 shall not be considered as establishing customary international law’). See also Res. 1897(2009), para. 8; Res. 1950(2010), para. 8; Res. 2020(2011), para. 10; Res. 2077(2012), para. 13; and Res. 2125(2013), para. 13 (‘underscoring that this resolution shall not be considered as establishing customary international law’); Res. 1976(2011), Preamble, para. 9; Res. 2015(2011), Preamble, para. 7.

  38. 38.

    Res. 1457(2003), paras. 12 and 16 (Democratic Republic of the Congo).

  39. 39.

    Res. 2146(2014), para. 9 (emphasis added).

  40. 40.

    Res. 2087(2013), Preamble, para. 2.

  41. 41.

    Res. 1441(2002), Preamble, para. 11.

  42. 42.

    Res. 1887(2009), paras. 6 (‘Underlining that the NPT remains the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime and the essential foundation for the pursuit of nuclear disarmament and for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy’) and 7 (‘Reaffirming its firm commitment to the NPT and its conviction that the international nuclear non-proliferation regime should be maintained and strengthened to ensure its effective implementation’).

  43. 43.

    Res. 2018(2011), Preamble, para. 6 (‘Affirming that international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea of 10 December 1982, in particular its articles 100, 101 and 105, sets out the legal framework applicable to countering piracy and armed robbery at sea, as well as other ocean activities’). See also Res. 2039(2012), Preamble, para. 5; Res. 1897(2009), Preamble, para. 4; Res. 1950(2010), Preamble, para. 6; Res. 2020(2011), Preamble, para. 7; Res. 2077(2012), Preamble, para. 7; Res. 2125(2013), Preamble, para. 9; Res. 1918(2010), Preamble, para. 3; Res. 1976(2011), Preamble, para. 8; and Res. 2015(2011), Preamble, para. 6.

  44. 44.

    Res. 1894(2009), Preamble, para. 4 (‘the Geneva Conventions of 1949, which together with their Additional Protocols constitute the basis for the legal framework for the protection of civilians in armed conflict’).

  45. 45.

    Res. 2014(2011), para. 9; Res. 2051(2012), para. 15; and Res. 1894(2009), Preamble, para. 2.

  46. 46.

    See resolutions on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ivory Coast, Mali, Peace and security in Africa, Sudan and Sudan/South Sudan. Contra see resolutions on Liberia and Sierra Leone.

  47. 47.

    Res. 1988(2011), para. 6.

  48. 48.

    Res. 1373(2001), Preamble, para. 7; and Res. 2133(2014), Preamble, para. 4. See also Res. 1450(2002), Preamble, para. 2 (mentioning the International Convention for the suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Aviation).

  49. 49.

    Res. 1373(2001), para. 3(e); Res. 1566(2004), paras. 3–4; and Res. 1368(2001), para. 4 (relevant anti-terrorism conventions).

  50. 50.

    Res. 1904(2009), para. 1.

  51. 51.

    Resolution 2189(2014) does not refer to any previous SC resolution and, therefore, represents an exception.

  52. 52.

    Res. 1929(2010), Preamble, para. 15, and para. 32 (operative part).

Bibliography

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  1. Brunel Law School, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK

    Rossana Deplano

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Deplano, R. (2015). Analysis of Security Council’s Practice. In: The Strategic Use of International Law by the United Nations Security Council. SpringerBriefs in Law. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-21281-4_3

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