Niels M. Blokker – författare

The work of legal practitioners in the field of international law, particularly when working in a ministry of foreign affairs, takes place at the crossroads of international relations and international law. The legal advisers of ministries of foreign affairs provide advice on the content of international law, and how it should be interpreted and applied in a particular situation.Since Johan Lammers became Legal Adviser, the Netherlands – quite unexpectedly – was increasingly facing situations in which it would become involved in litigation concerning international law. The first essays in this collection deal with actual or potential interstate disputes involving the Netherlands before international courts and arbitral tribunals, followed by articles with respect to international courts and other international bodies before which individuals may appear as applicant or defendant. The final set of essays deal with the increasing number of cases in which international law is invoked in national court proceedings.This work provides insight into the role of the international legal practitioners working for the government of the Netherlands and should be of particular interest to their colleagues in other foreign ministries and other lawyers interested in a reflection on the law in action.

Conventional wisdom has it that the successful functioning of the UN Security Council almost completely depends on the role played by its five permanent members and the extent to which they can agree—or avoid to fundamentally disagree—on the many issues on the Council’s agenda. But the Council also consists of ten non-permanent or elected members who represent five different regions of the world, and who, though not vested with the right of veto, play an indispensable role in Council decision-making.This book aims to take a closer look at that role. It considers what role is foreseen for the elected members in the UN Charter, how this evolved in practice, and what “tools” they can deploy. It also considers whether there are particular “niches” for the elected members on the Security Council, such as engaging in conflict prevention, taking initiatives on rule of law issues and debating the potential effects of climate change on peace and security. Can elected members serve as agents of the international community and norm entrepreneurs? Should their position be strengthened, and if so, how? This collection was born out of a dynamic research seminar held at Leiden University, which also drew on the experiences of former elected members. This book thus offers unique insights from both practice and scholarship, and is an indispensable tool for politicians, diplomats, academics and students alike.

In its famous first words, the UN Charter expresses the determination of “the peoples of the United Nations […] to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war, which twice in our lifetime has brought untold sorrow to mankind”. In order to achieve this, a new world organization was established, with a key responsibility for the Security Council.The aim of this book is to evaluate the functioning of the Security Council during its first 75 years, from an institutional legal perspective. It analyzes three issues that were not only hotly debated when the United Nations was founded, but have also been highly relevant for the Council’s functioning in practice and are likely to remain so in the future: the right of veto for the permanent members, the rule of law, and the size of the Council (the need for enlargement).

This rich collection focuses on the broad research interests of Professor Nico Schrijver, in whose honour it was created. Written by a wide range of international scholars affiliated with Leiden University's Grotius Centre for International Legal Studies, the essays reflect Professor Schrijver's important contribution to academia and practice, particularly in the fields of sovereignty, human rights and sustainable development. The authors aim to reflect on changes in international law and on new developments in the diverse fields they explore. "Furthering frontiers" is the research theme of the Grotius Centre. Its exploration in this thought-provoking volume is a fitting homage to Nico Schrijver's achievements on the occasion of his retirement as Chair of Public International Law of Leiden University.