The United Nations and International Law Seminar

The inexorable paces of globalization and interdependence over the past few decades have made the need for international cooperation among states more acute. The role of the United Nations, the premier global intergovernmental organization, in these processes has become more relevant, as has that of international law in general.  Notwithstanding the critical voices that have sometimes questioned the relevance or usefulness of the world body, and international law itself, on the basis of certain perspectives and points of view, the United Nations and its Specialized Agencies continue to have a considerable impact around the world, in such areas as the use of force, conflict prevention and resolution, refugees, human population displacement and forced migrations, humanitarian action, human rights, international trade, and economic and social development. These considerations, among others, make the study of the United Nations and international law more important today than it has ever been. This course satisfies the upper-level writing seminar requirement.