UN총회 결의를 통한 국제관습법의 발전

Development of Customary International Law through United Nations General Assembly Resolutions -with special reference to opinio juris -

The United Nations General Assembly has played a significant role for the development of international law by adopting resolutions regarding rules of conduct of States in their external relations. An agreement or consent of States to the adoption of the resolutions has contributed to the formation of new customary international law. The present research aims to analyze the development of customary international norms through UNGA resolutions. For this purpose, this paper, first of all, surveys general theories concerning the status and role of UNGA resolutions in the formation of customary international law. There exists a doctrinal division concerning whether those resolutions have normative characters and binding force. Next, this paper emphasizes that an agreement of States for the adoption of the resolutions can be recognized as an evidence of the opinio juris for the rules contained in those documents. What plays the role of such opinio juris is neither the resolutions themselves nor the adoption of the documents, but the attitude of States in their adoption: the agreement or consent to the adoption. Lastly, this study considers how and to what extent such opinio juris contributes to the creation of customary law. It is without doubt that the attitude of States for the adoption of the resolutions, as an evidence of opinio juris, can promote the formation of customary law. An resolution of the General Assembly or the general consent of States to its adoption, however, cannot by itself create a new customary rule without State practice. It should also be pointed out that, in order for the consent of States to be considered as opinio juris, it should represent the majority of States including those interested in the operation of the rules in question.