The United Nations and International Law: The Rede Lecture, 1985

For the past forty years the Secretariat of the United Nations has endeavoured to establish a context in which justice and international law can prevail. In his 1985 Rede Lecture Mr Urquhart considers the extent to which such conditions have been achieved, and analyses the major work undertaken by the International Law Commission in the progressive development and codification of international law. He also examines the manifold Problems raised by the sometimes contradictory claims of national sovereignty and international peace and prosperity, one principal manifestation of which has been the declining respect for the authority of the United Nations Security Council, exacerbated by the evident lack of great power unanimity since 1945. Mr Urquhart concludes by asking whether the step forward from strictly national sovereignty to acceptance of the rule of international law will come about only in the aftermath of global disaster, or whether in fact an effort of enlightened political will can achieve that goal, towards which the UN Secretariat continues to strive.Urquhart, Brian is the author of 'The United Nations and International Law: The Rede Lecture, 1985', published 1986 under ISBN 9780521338745 and ISBN 0521338743.