International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly

Through the lens of five institutional functions – quasi-legislative, quasi-judicial, recommendatory, empowering and sanctioning – this important book assesses the practice and legal foundations of the United Nations General Assembly in advancing international justice, an increasing priority of the international community.

Challenging the assumption that the General Assembly is merely a weak deliberative assembly, Michael Ramsden shows that its pioneering resolutions on international justice have become an invaluable tool in the fight against impunity. As concerns remain over the aptness of international institutions in responding to atrocities, particularly the Security Council, this book establishes the legal foundation for the General Assembly to step into the breach. Chapters also offer innovative arguments on the General Assembly’s institutional powers to end impunity as well as a detailed examination on the influence of General Assembly resolutions in judicial decision-making.

International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly will be a key resource for scholars and students in the fields of international law and international institutional law, as well as UN and international institutional practitioners who are involved in policy development.