Unilateral Declarations of States: as a Potential Source of International Law رسالة ماجستير

Abstract

Unilateral declarations of states are widely used in modern international relations. The increasing use of state representatives of these declarations as means to bind their states to certain commitments and obligations is widely encouraged and accepted. Yet, the current international legal framework lacks clear criteria to define the legal nature of unilateral declarations. Even though they are a powerful instrument of international law, acknowledged by the Permanent Court of International Justice and by the International Court of Justice and also by the International Law Commission. Nevertheless, the conventional sources of international law are associated with certain obligations that must be fulfilled and respected. Considering the constant development of international law doctrine, the traditional sources of international law which are enlisted in article 38 of the ICJ Statute must be revised and modified to meet the modern trends and standards of international cooperation. New concepts such as Unilateral Declarations of States have the potential to qualify as a potential source of international law