Paper Assignment
PO 375 International Law
Paper Assignment
Each student will complete two papers for this class.For this assignment you will research a historic/classic case OR current issue in international law.A list of classic cases can be found at the beginning of the Cassese textbook or look at cases at the UN’s Permanent Court of Arbitration https://pca-cpa.
Outline due 4/20
Paper due 4/15
Format for Current Issue Paper: In the introduction tell the reader what the paper is about and, in one sentence if possible, what the issue is concerning and legal principles that it is related to (sovereign immunity, a specific jus cogens, maritime laws, peace, diplomacy etc.).Then in the body explain the issue concerned, when did it happen, who (people and/or States) was involved, whether or not the issue is resolved and how it was resolved.If you are writing about a new treaty or convention, tell the reader what the purpose of the treaty is, what States are involved, and ratification of treaty.The conclusion should briefly summarize what you wrote in the body of the paper.Make sure to include references for any materials you used to help write the paper (should have at least 4 to 5 sources).Each paper is worth 10% of your grade.
Current Event in International Law:
For this assignment you can report on a current issue in international law.This may be either a news event like the Venezuelan Diplomat’s murder by a fellow diplomat in Kenya, or may be a recent UN Security Council resolution, convention, treaty etc.A great place to find current issues is the American Society of International Law website: http://www.asil.org/
Some ideas for contemporary issues paper:
South China Seas
Whaling
Russia Annexation of Crimea
Russian bridge to Crimea
Julian Assange—Ecuadorian Embassy
ICTY—International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia—Pick a cases
ICTC—International Criminal Tribunal for Cambodia—Pick some cases
Edward Snowden—refuge in Russia
Austria requires Pres. Morales’s plane to land
US, Venezuela, and Aruba Drug Arrest
Venezuela diplomat’s murder in Kenya
Attack and murder of US diplomats in Benghazi
Libyan Embassy Shooting in London of Protestors
US Arrest of former Intelligence chief in Venezuela
Land grab Antarctica
Kenyan Pres. and ICC charges
Pres. of Sudan and ICC charges
Argentina debt and US Hedge Funds
US funding of Nicaraguan Contras
US drone attacks
US Guantanamo Bay Prisoners
Israel and Palestine (PLO—national liberation movement?; the Israeli wall; allegations of war crimes in last conflict)
US Spy in Italy
Piracy off African Coasts
International Criminal Court—pick a case
Afghan Red Cross workers killed by IS
Syria hanging of prisoners
Gas and chemical weapons used in Syria
Qatar workers condition (ILO)
Refugees (Convention on Refugees)—US legalities
Saudi Arabia blockade of Yemen
Human Rights and Saudi Arabia
China human rights attorney and US Embassy
Egypt murder of Italian Doctoral Student
Human Rights abuses in North Korea
Issue of Statelessness—people without a citizenship
Egypt and Human Rights, jailing of Americans etc.
Convention Against Torture
International Committee of the Red Cross—work in human rights and war zones
International Labor Organization—rights, work, Child Labor, working conditions
Paris Climate Change Agreement
Treaties—pick one and investigate
Refugee Crisis—pick a place
Cases of Grave Breaches of Geneva Conventions
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Solution Preview
Introduction
A treaty is an international law agreement that state nations enter to influence public welfare. In July 2017, the United Nations held a conference to negotiate a legally binding matter that would prohibit nuclear weapons. More than 130 state members of the United Nations assembled to negotiate the treaty on the prohibition of nuclear weapons; out of which 122 vote for it, 1 vote against and there was one abstained. The treaty includes a set of prohibitions in the participation of activities involving nuclear weapons. The treaty aims to ban the development, production, testing, manufacturing, possession, and acquisition of nuclear weapons by the member states. The treaty also bars nations from deploying any nuclear weapons on their territories or assisting any country in conducting these illegal activities. This treaty requires member states to prevent and suppress any actions of other nations by persons or any organization under its jurisdiction (Dunworth, 2017).
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