Programme

The purpose of the course is to provide an introduction to the principles and norms of international law applicable to the inter-governmental organisations (IGOs). It discusses the essential topics of the law of international organisations, including powers, privileges and immunities, as well as membership rules, institutional structures, and accountability. There is a focus on the United Nations system, as the paradigmatic IGO, including the activities of the specialised agencies based in Rome. Special emphasis is placed on the interaction between universalism and regionalism. IGOs have developed into a pervasive phenomenon: a fundamental objective of the course is to develop a critical understanding of their impact vis-à-vis the current global challenges (big data, economic and financial crises, migration, armed conflicts, natural disasters, epidemics).

Course Schedule
Week 1: The rise of International Organisations: history and definition
Week2: Membership, voting and funding
Week 3: International Organizations and the law of treaties
Week 4: The International legal personality
Week 5: The doctrine of powers
Week 6: Institutional law-making: a new source of international law?
Week 7: The Treaty-making powers
Week 8: Sanctions and military operations
Week 9: International Organisations and digital technologies
Week 10: Issues of responsibility

Core Documentation

Nigel White, The Law of International Organisations, 3rd ed., Manchester UP, 2016

Type of evaluation

Evaluation wull be based on a final oral exam.