The Institute of International Politics and Economics hosted the academic panel discussion “80th Anniversary of the United Nations – Between Justice and Injustice”, bringing together distinguished experts in the field of international law from both academia and practice. The panel featured contributions from Prof. Dr. Boris Krivokapić (Faculty of Law and Business Studies, University “MB”), Prof. Dr. Bojan Milisavljević (Faculty of Law, University of Belgrade), Prof. Dr. Nebojša Raičević (Faculty of Law, University of Niš), Mr. Bratislav Đorđević, retired ambassador, Dr. Marko Novaković (Senior Research Fellow, Institute of International Politics and Economics), and Dr. Jelica Gordanić (Research Fellow, Institute of International Politics and Economics). The discussion was moderated by Dr. Duško Dimitrijević, Principal Research Fellow at the Institute of International Politics and Economics.
Starting from the premise that, despite numerous crises, challenges, and somewhat unfulfilled expectations over the course of its eight decades, the United Nations remains the most significant guarantor of international law, the discussion explored key questions concerning the directions and mechanisms of UN engagement in the international legal domain. The contribution to the codification and progressive development of international law by the International Law Commission, as well as the contribution to its correct interpretation through the jurisprudence of the International Court of Justice, have been highlighted as the main legacy of the UN over the past time. This impact is particularly visible in some of the most important areas of general international law, and especially in the domain of the internationalization of human rights, which – on the wings of the UN Charter – gained full momentum with the adoption of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the subsequent proliferation of human rights conventions.
t the same time, the panelists underscored that the UN’s approach to international law has not always been constructive or consistent. Particular attention was drawn to the organization’s silence regarding grave crimes committed by members of UN peacekeeping missions, as well as the obstruction of internal rules and procedures in times of international crises—issues that were notably evident during the UN’s engagement in the Yugoslav crisis. Finally, an overview of the Pact for the Future was presented, with a critical observation that, given contemporary challenges, its ambitiously formulated objectives resemble an attempt to “build a house from the roof down”—a diversion from addressing the fundamental and systemic issues that have persistently burdened the functioning of the UN.
