Africa And The Development Of International Law

In Africa. The new states and the United Nations. Modern.

Monograph on the contribution of newly independent African developing countries to the development of international law - discusses (1) the attainment of independence and problems of state succession to treatys and membership of international organizations, (2) the origins and development of the OAU, and (3) the impact of African states on legal aspects of foreign investment, international cooperation, peaceful settlement of disputes, etc. Bibliography pp. 217 to 221 and references.

Pan-Africanism offers a unique vantage point to study Africa’s encounters with international law : first, as a continent whose political entities were excluded from the scope of application of the Eurocentric version of international law that was applied among the self-styled club of “civilized nations” ; second, through the emergence of African States as subjects of international law willing to contribute to the reform and further development of the law as a universal interstate normative system; and third, as members of the OAU and the AU acting collectively to generate innovative principles and rules, which, though applicable only in the context of intra-African relations, either go beyond those existing at the universal level or complement them by broadening their scope. This study examines those encounters through the various stages in the evolution of Pan-Africanism from a diaspora-based movement, engaged in the struggle for the emancipation of the peoples of the continent, to groupings of independent States and intergovernmental organizations which continue to promote African unity and influence the development of international law to make it more reflective of diverse legal traditions and values.

Antarctica & the Southern Ocean cover one-tenth of the earth's surface. In a legal & environmental sense, Antarctica represents the geography of hope. It is the freshest & most pristine of regions, governed by a legal regime that offers Antarctica & its circumpolar water the unique possibility of becoming the world's first global wilderness preserve. But in today's age of resource scarcity, Antarctica still provokes much political, economic & legal debate. Over the past decade, international attention has increasingly focused on the legal status of the continent, the potential for hydrocarbon exploitation offshore, & opportunities for harvesting circumpolar living marine resources. In this fascinating treatment, Christopher C. Joyner undertakes the first serious examination of the intimate relationship between Antarctica & the law of the sea. Using Antarctica as a case study, Joyner probes large conceptual issues of ocean law & politics. He uses the intricate details of oceanography & law to unravel the dynamics of the Antarctic Treaty System. In doing so, he examines how the changing importance of Antarctic issues has affected the development of the law of the sea for the region, the ways in which states define their national interests, & the accommodation through various negotations that have contributed to the development of law for governing the Southern Ocean. While the study of law for the Antarctic is provocative in itself, this work goes much farther. The study critically analyzes the region's biogeography, the condition of sovereignty on the continent, the lawfulness of asserting jurisdictional zones offshore, & various legal implications for Antarctica's continental shelf, local island groups, circumpolar deep seabed, & the Southern Ocean's high seas. Moreover, the special legal efforts by the international community to protect the Antarctic seas from marine pollution & to conserve its living marine resources are comprehensively appraised. Thorough, authoritative, & objectively reasoned, Antarctica & the Law of the Sea provides an insightful assessment of how law can progressively develop for a resource-rich region of the world's ocean. As such, it should appeal to a broad range of international lawyers & social scientists who are interested in international relations, political economy, environmental politics, & the law of the sea.

An integrative rights-based approach to human development in Africaby Dejo Olowu2009ISBN: 978-0-9814124-6-7Pages: x 322Print version: AvailableElectronic version: Free PDF available.

This book seeks to fill a gap in the existing literature by examining the role of African States in the development and establishment of the regime of the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction (the Area) and the concept of the Common Heritage of Mankind.

The "African Yearbook of International Law" provides an intellectual forum for the systematic analysis and scientific dissection of issues of international law as they apply to Africa, as well as Africa's contribution to the progressive development of international law. It contributes to the promotion, acceptance of and respect for the principles of international law, as well as to the encouragement of the teaching, study, dissemination and wider appreciations of international law in Africa. A clear articulation of Africa's views on the various aspects of international law based on the present realities of the continent as well as on Africa's civilization, culture, philosophy and history will undoubtedly contribute to a better understanding among nations. The "African Yearbook of International Law" plays an important role in examining the tensions underlying the State in Africa, and by shedding more light on the causes of the fragility of African State institutions so as to facilitate the identification of appropriate remedies. The tension and interrelationships among issues such as territorial integrity, self determination, ethnic diversity and nation-building are constantly addressed. Development, human rights and democratization in Africa are also the subject of continuous attention and examination. The structure of the first two volumes - consisting of a special theme, individual articles, notes and comments, book reviews and basic documents - will be reflected to the extent possible in future volumes, but will also be constantly improved with the addition of new features and areas of study. The "African Yearbook of International Law" will attract more contributions in the futurefrom African international lawyers currently teaching or practising in Africa. Most of those who have toiled to make the first volume a reality are now working outside the continent. They are, however, all determined to see to it that this intellectual forum will serve first and foremost the teachers and practitioners of international law in Africa.

Over recent decades, the responsibility for the past actions of the European colonial powers in relation to their former colonies has been subject to a lively debate. In this book, the question of the responsibility under international law of former colonial States is addressed. Such a legal responsibility would presuppose the violation of the international law that was applicable at the time of colonization. In the ‘Scramble for Africa’ during the Age of New Imperialism (1870-1914), European States and non-State actors mainly used cession and protectorate treaties to acquire territorial sovereignty (imperium) and property rights over land (dominium). The question is raised whether Europeans did or did not on a systematic scale breach these treaties in the context of the acquisition of territory and the expansion of empire, mainly through extending sovereignty rights and, subsequently, intervening in the internal affairs of African political entities.