PUBLIC LAW II:
Public International
Law
Prof. Dr. Gleider Hernández
Professor of Public International
Law Institute for
International Law Faculty of
Law, KU Leuven
2020-2021
,Structure of Today’s Lecture
o Defining international organisations
o Legal personality of international organisations
o Powers of international organisations
o Applicability of international law to
international organisations
o International organisations and
international law-making
o An introduction to the United Nations
2
,Introduction
o The Proliferation of International Organisations
o Between 500 and 700
o Enormous diversity:
• bilateral, trilateral, multilateral, global
• intergovernmental - supranational
• fields of activity: highly specialized - very broad
o Ever stronger impact on domestic legal systems,
on policy-making and on individuals: e.g.
• UN Security Council anti-terrorism resolutions
• WTO disciplines
• Technical standards from aviation to ICT standards
3
, Looking for a
definition?
Article 2(a) of the 2011 Articles on the Responsibility of
International Organizations (ARIO), the ILC attempted to
set out a broad definition as follows:
‘international organization’ means an organization established
by a treaty or other instrument governed by international law
and possessing its own international legal personality.
International organizations may include as members, in
addition to States, other entities.
4
Public International
Law
Prof. Dr. Gleider Hernández
Professor of Public International
Law Institute for
International Law Faculty of
Law, KU Leuven
2020-2021
,Structure of Today’s Lecture
o Defining international organisations
o Legal personality of international organisations
o Powers of international organisations
o Applicability of international law to
international organisations
o International organisations and
international law-making
o An introduction to the United Nations
2
,Introduction
o The Proliferation of International Organisations
o Between 500 and 700
o Enormous diversity:
• bilateral, trilateral, multilateral, global
• intergovernmental - supranational
• fields of activity: highly specialized - very broad
o Ever stronger impact on domestic legal systems,
on policy-making and on individuals: e.g.
• UN Security Council anti-terrorism resolutions
• WTO disciplines
• Technical standards from aviation to ICT standards
3
, Looking for a
definition?
Article 2(a) of the 2011 Articles on the Responsibility of
International Organizations (ARIO), the ILC attempted to
set out a broad definition as follows:
‘international organization’ means an organization established
by a treaty or other instrument governed by international law
and possessing its own international legal personality.
International organizations may include as members, in
addition to States, other entities.
4
