The United States and the Rule of Law in International Affairs

Cover......Page 1
Half-title......Page 3
Title......Page 5
Copyright......Page 6
Dedication......Page 7
Contents......Page 9
Acknowledgments......Page 10
Introduction......Page 13
Notes......Page 22
1 Law and legal process in international affairs......Page 23
The “sources” of international law......Page 25
Customary international law......Page 26
Treaties......Page 37
International organizations as law creators......Page 42
Soft law......Page 46
General principles of law......Page 48
Article 31 General Rule of Interpretation......Page 50
Article 32 Supplementary Means of Interpretation......Page 51
The role of international courts and tribunals......Page 54
The United States and the World Trade Organization......Page 61
The United States and NAFTA......Page 64
Compliance with and enforcement of international law......Page 68
Notes......Page 74
2 The status of international law under US law......Page 86
The restrictive definition of treaties under the US Constitution......Page 87
Self-executing and non-self-executing treaties......Page 88
The political branches intervene: US declarations that human rights treaties are non-self-executing......Page 91
The challenge to Missouri v. Holland......Page 95
The “last-in-time” and “political question” doctrines......Page 97
International agreements other than treaties......Page 99
Customary international law......Page 102
Indirect uses......Page 104
Direct uses......Page 107
Alien Tort Claims Act......Page 110
Torture Victim Protection Act......Page 111
Federalism and customary international law......Page 114
The status of international law in the United States and the rule of law in international affairs......Page 119
Notes......Page 122
3 UN dues......Page 128
Certain expenses of the United Nations......Page 129
The ICJ Advisory Opinion......Page 131
The opinion’s aftermath: the Article 19 crisis......Page 133
In the beginning: the late 1970s and the 1980s......Page 135
The 1990s: Congress lays down the law......Page 138
US withholding and the rule of law......Page 142
Notes......Page 148
Use of force: a brief background......Page 154
Brave new world: the 1990s and the new millennium......Page 159
Avoiding the use of force in Kosovo......Page 166
Self-defense......Page 168
Security Council authorization......Page 169
Humanitarian intervention......Page 171
Should international law be revised to permit humanitarian intervention?......Page 173
Can the Security Council authorize the use of force based on humanitarian considerations?......Page 175
September 11 and use of force in Afghanistan......Page 179
Iraq: the sequel......Page 181
Are UN Charter rules on the use of force no longer operative?......Page 189
The United Nations and the maintenance of international peace and security: the US role......Page 193
Notes......Page 206
5 Arms control, disarmament, nonproliferation, and safeguards......Page 219
The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty......Page 220
The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)......Page 221
Biological Weapons Convention and Chemical Weapons Convention......Page 228
The Landmines Convention......Page 230
The UN Conference on the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in all its aspects......Page 231
Notes......Page 233
6 The law of the sea......Page 238
National security issues......Page 241
Natural resources issues......Page 245
Dispute settlement......Page 251
The United States, the law of the sea, and the rule of law: prospects for the future......Page 252
Arguments for the opposition......Page 253
The United States as “free rider”......Page 254
Prospects......Page 255
Notes......Page 257
Meaning of Innocent Passage......Page 258
7 The International Court of Justice......Page 262
The United States and the Court’s compulsory jurisdiction......Page 265
Nicaragua v. United States (Jurisdiction and Admissibility)......Page 267
The withdrawal of the United States......Page 272
Nicaragua v. United States (Merits)......Page 274
The United States, compromissory clauses, and the Court......Page 278
Libya v. United States......Page 280
Breard......Page 282
LaGrand......Page 286
Avena......Page 287
The future......Page 289
Notes......Page 290
Introduction......Page 296
Some general considerations......Page 297
Universal jurisdiction......Page 298
Extradition......Page 301
Alternatives to extradition......Page 305
Mutual assistance in criminal matters......Page 307
International terrorism......Page 308
International terrorism: a definitional quagmire......Page 309
A brief history of efforts to combat international terrorism......Page 310
Military commissions......Page 321
International criminal tribunals......Page 324
Hybrid courts......Page 330
Notes......Page 331
9 Human rights and international environmental issues......Page 337
The High Commissioner for Human Rights......Page 338
The UN Commission on Human Rights......Page 340
The Human Rights Committee......Page 341
The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination......Page 344
The war on terrorism and international human rights......Page 347
The Kyoto Protocol......Page 350
Biodiversity......Page 353
Notes......Page 356
Deviations from the rule of law......Page 361
Adherence to the rule of law......Page 364
Some reasons for US difficulties......Page 365
Greater adherence......Page 367
Less adherence......Page 370
Notes......Page 371
Index......Page 373