Throughout his career, Michael Reisman emphasized law’s function in shaping the future. In this wide-ranging collection of essays, major thinkers in the international legal field address the goals of the twenty-first century and how international law can address the needs of the world community.

A collection of essays on the various aspects of the legal sources of international law, including theories of the origin of international law, explanation of its binding force, normative hierarchies and the relation of international law and politics.

This interdisciplinary volume examines the highly topical issue of the role international law plays in international politics today.

In October I873, as every Conference Report recalls, the Associ ation for the Reform and Codification of the Law of Nations was founded in Brussels (Belgium). At the Brussels Conference of I895 the Association's name was changed and ever since it has been "The International Law Association". On August 30 and 3I and September I, I973, a Centenary Cele bration will be held in the Association's place of birth. In the course of preparations made for this triduum, plans were also laid by the Executive Council for a Centenary Volume to mark the event. The formula adopted for the book was mostly based on contributions by Chairmen and/or Rapporteurs of International Committees of the Association who were asked to shed light on "the present state" of their subject. Hence the title of the Volume. For good measure, vari ous other topics not coming under the terms of reference of Inter national Committees were added. Almost all of the authors invited responded favourably, and their studies are to be found in Part II, arranged in sections which have no other justification than the Editor's whim. It should be pointed out that Chairmen and/or Rapporteurs of International Committees wrote their articles a titre personnel and, therefore, cannot be deemed to express opinions held by their Com mittees as such. Part I contains the "other essays", dealing with the Association itself rather than with the present state of international law.

These collected essays deal with the evolutions and immutabilities of international society and international law during the last 25 years, a period during which these fields of study have undergone many changes. The starting point is that far from operating at different levels or being in conflict, international law and politics are closely intertwined. The book addresses the many different aspects of international law: the role and concept of the State, and the position of States in the international system; the bases, principles and evolution of public international law; questions of international security that still govern international relations; classic and current systems of peace and security maintenance; the standing, role and actions of the UN Security Council; arms control and limitation of armaments; unilateral uses of armed force and the legality of war; and humanitarian law and international criminal justice. The perspective of these essays is not a theoretical or dogmatic vision of international law and politics; rather they are based upon the practices of States in the international arena, and the ways in which the guiding legal rules are elaborated and implemented. These texts have been selected from Professor Sur's various books and numerous articles on international law and relations.

This book contains ten writings on different aspects of international law, each of them cross-referenced, in instances in which information in one is relevant to points made in another. The first essay considers the character of the subject, and its relation to other entities of relevance to it, such as its compatibility with national law and its relation to maritime law. The second one considers different types of legal instruments in settings of international law, and explains how to read a multilateral convention, using the Convention for the International Sale of Goods as an example. The third part discusses the characteristics of a state and the concept of recognition, the fourth reviews the various roles that institutions take in international law, concentrating in particular on major regional organisations, and the fifth explores the extent to which the World Trade Organisation and the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade provide for developing countries. Essay Six summarises the framework for international labour law and investigates its contents and workings, then the seventh considers which countries predominate in the running of international institutions. The eighth paper explores how regional entities might co-operate with international institutions in the harmonisation of the law, and the ninth one investigates the place of negotiation as a method of international dispute resolution. Finally, the tenth essay considers the past, present and future of international law, and reviews especially the role of language.