Abstract
It will be contended here that the practices of the General Assembly of the United Nations as a whole affect the development of customary international law. The resolutions of the Assembly constitute the practice of states or originate practice; they corroborate customary rules of international law, and, in appropriate cases, supply the opinio juris sive necessitatis of existing practice. In other words, resolutions of the Assembly, apart from creating precedents which may in the course of time become the accepted practice of states, in appropriate circumstances, constitute formal or material sources of international law. The latter two aspects are closely interrelated.
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References
See G.A. resolution 174 (II), 21 Nov. 1947.
Jennings, “The Progressive Development of International Law and its Codification,” 24 Brit. Yb. Int’l L. 315–6 (1947).
G.A. resolution 375(IV), 6th December 1949.
For a list of what in the view of the ILC constitutes evidence of custom, see U.N. Gen. Ass. Off. Rec. 5th Sess. Suppl. No. 12, at 4-8 (A/1316) (1950). On evidence of customary international law relied upon by quasi-international tribunals see Schechter, “Towards a World Rule of Law-Customary International Law in American Courts,” 29 Fordham L. Rev. 313 (1960).
(1955) I.C.J. Rep. 4.
See Dissenting Opinion of Read in Fisheries Case (1951) I.C.J. Rep. 191. Fitzmaurice, “Law and Procedure of the International Court of Justice,” 30 Brit. Tb. Int’l L. 67-8 (1953). But see infra, at 52-58.
(1951) I.C.J. Rep. 15.
(1951) I.C.J. Rep. 31
(1955) Int’lL. Rep. 40-41.
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Infra at 158.
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Supra at 24.
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Australia, U.N. Gen. Ass. Off. Rec. 17th Sess., 6th Comm. 120 (A/C.6/SR.758) (1962); Czechoslovakia, Id., 6th Comm. 181 (A/C.6/SR.767) (1962); Hungary, Id., 18th Sess., 6th Comm. 131 (A/C.6/SR. 806) (1963); New Zealand, Id. 17th Sess., 6th Comm. 171-172 (A/C.6/SR.766) (1962); Ukraine, Id., 6th Comm. 117 (A/C.6/SR.752) (1962).
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Fitzmaurice, op. cit. supra note 36, at 12.
Fitzmaurice, op. cit. supra note 34, at 9.
Fitzmaurice, op. cit. supra note 34, at 9 and 12. He admits there are other possibilities.
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Fitzmaurice, op. cit. supra note 34, at 11.
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(1951) I.C.J. Rep. 23.
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© 1966 Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague, Netherlands
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Asamoah, O.Y. (1966). Declarations as Evidence of Custom or General Principles of International Law. In: The Legal Significance of the Declarations of the General Assembly of the United Nations. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-9495-2_6
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