This book offers a comprehensive study into the use of force and the maintenance of peace in international relations. Whilst rooted in public international law, it also approaches the question from different angles, including its historical evolution and its sociological environment. The competences and practice of the UN and of regional organizations in the maintenance of peace are examined before the focus is shifted to the inter-State level, the main non-use of force rule and its claimed or recognized exceptions. Robert Kolb analyzes each of these rules separately, before concluding with insightful reflections on the current state-of-play and considerations for the future of this branch of the law.

Peace is an elusive concept, especially within the field of international law, varying according to historical era and between contextual applications within different cultures, institutions, societies, and academic traditions. This Research Handbook responds to the gap created by the neglect of peace in international law scholarship. Explaining the normative evolution of peace from the principles of peaceful co-existence to the UN declaration on the right to peace, this Research Handbook calls for the fortification of international institutions to facilitate the pursuit of sustainable peace as a public good.

Within international law there is no unified concept of peace. This book addresses this gap by considering the liberal conception of peace within Western philosophy alongside the principle of 'peaceful coexistence' supported in the East. By tracing the evolution of the international law of peace through its historical and philosophical origins, this book investigates whether there is a 'right to peace'. The book explores how existing international law and institutions contribute to the establishment of peace, or how they fail to do so. It sets out how international law promotes the negative dimension of peace-the absence of violence-as well as its positive dimension: the presence of underlying conditions for peace. It also investigates whether international actors and institutions have particular obligations in relation to the establishment and maintenance of peace. Discussions include: the relationships between the different regimes of human rights, trade, development, the environment, and regulation of arms trade with peace; the role of women, refugees, and other groups seeking equal treatment; the role of peacekeepers, transitional justice mechanisms, international courts fact-finding missions, and national constitutional frameworks in upholding peace in practice; and how civil society participates in the promotion and safeguarding of peace. The book's comprehensive treatment of the concept of peace in international law makes it an ideal reference work for those working in the field, as well as for students.

A successor to the League of Nation's Permanent Court of International Justice, the International Court of Justice was established in 1946 by the United Nations. Written during its early years, this incisive study outlines how the court functioned as an "instrument for the maintenance of international peace and security" and how it may function in the future. Though skeptical that the court would be a powerful institution, Lissitzyn believed its rulings would have a modest but notable effect on the development of international law. Long out of print, this essay was originally published in the Carnegie series United Nations Studies.

An international legal analysis of the UN Security Council's agenda on Women, Peace and Security (WPS).