Supplementary tasks

Task 1. Read and translate the text in written form into Ukrainian.

The History of International Law

International law has existed since the Middle Ages (see Islamic international law), but much of its modern corpus began developing from the mid-19th century. In the 20th century, the two World Wars and the formation of the League of Nations (and other international organizations such as the International Labor Organization) all contributed to accelerate this process and established much of the foundations of modern public international law. After the failure of the Treaty of Versailles and World War II, the League of Nations was replaced by the United Nations, founded under the UN Charter. The UN has also been the locus for the development of new advisory (non-binding) standards, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Other international norms and laws have been established through international agreements, including the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of war or armed conflict, as well as by agreements implemented by other international organizations such as the ILO, the World Health Organization, the World Intellectual Property Organization, the International Telecommunication Union, UNESCO, the World Trade Organization, and the International Monetary Fund. The development and consolidation of such conventions and agreements has proven to be of great importance in the realm of international relations.

Task 2. Read and translate the text. Write down the unknown words and words expressions. Put 10-15 questions to the text. Discuss with your partner the main items of the text.

International Law

By its nature, international law is a common concern of all states, a product of legal culture, thought, experience of many different societies. The central concern of international law is the relations among states. The role of international law is to establish a workable framework for intergovernmental relations, and to provide criteria and procedures for the settlement of international disputes which are, or can be made, justiciable.

“Justiciable” is a lawyer’s word. It is used to describe disputes of a kind that can be resolved justly and peacefully by impartial tribunal on the basis of commonly accepted legal principles. In any civilized society, there are an immense range and variety of disputes that are justiciable, and are effectively resolved under law. In even the most highly civilized and law-abiding states, however, many disputes are generally recognized to be nonjusticiable. They must be resolved through factors and processes other than adjudication.

As the life of a legal system is measured, international law is still young. Its beginnings are usually traced to the middle of seventeenth century or the early part of the seventeenth century in Europe. Until the nineteenth century, it was essentially a European, and largely a West European development. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, international law has had to grow and accommodate itself to a much vaster international society, comprehending the states of North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australia.

International law is partly customary and partly conventional. Customary international law reflects a consensus among nations, which through common practice used long enough has crystallized into law. Conventional international law is that part of international law which is established by convention or treaty.

Task 3. Read the text and speak on the main international communities and unions.