Chinese International Law Notes

1. PRC International Law

   1. Matthieu Burnay, China in the UN Security Council: What are the implications for the International Rule of Law

      1. Introduction: The Rule of Law as a Priority for the United Nations

         1. The United Nations (UN) has become increasingly preoccupied with the rule of law, as crystallised in the report of UN Secretary General (UNSG)

         2. Kofi Annan 'The Rule of Law and Transitional Justice in Conflict and Post-Conflict societies'

            1. This report articulates "a common language of justice for the United Nations" and recognises the rule of law as "a concept at the very heart of the Organisation's mission"

            2. It constitutes arguably the first coherent articulation of the concept at UN level

            3. and testifies to the growing interest for the rule of law at the beginning of the 21st century.

            4. In this respect, various UN bodies, the UN Security Council and the UNSG have paved the way for the identification of the rule of law as a main priority in itself and not only as an annex to human rights protection and a component of peacekeeping

         3. Following the release of the 2004 report, UN Member States repeatedly referred to the importance of the rule of law at the 2005 World Summit, from the area of development and investment to human rights:

            1. they inter alia considered "good governance and the rule of law at the national and international levels [...] essential for sustained economic growth, sustainable development and the eradication of poverty and hunger",

            2. boldly held that "human rights, the rule of law and democracy [...] are interlinked and mutually reinforcing",

            3. recognised "the need for universal adherence to and implementation of the rule of law at both the national and international levels",

            4. and reaffirmed their commitment to "an international order based on the rule of law and international law, which is essential for peaceful coexistence and cooperation among states".

            5. The link between rule of law and ensuring social and political stability has likewise become recognised

         4. The rule of law now constitutes a key component of conflict prevention, conflict management and post-conflict peacebuilding

            1. It is used as a primary tool to respond to new security challenges (terrorism, failed states, transnational crimes) and to the expansion in the scope and complexity of peace missions.

            2. In a time where the main challenges facing states constitute more diffuse and uncertain risks than well-defined and assessable threats, new tools are developed to strengthen the rule of law within states as well as to enhance the international rule of law

            3. The benefits of this development include "avoiding arbitrariness in the exercise of power, submitting international coercive processes to judicial review, and more general and consistent application of the law" in an international legal system which has a weak degree of institutionalisation, lacks a centralised and hierarchical set-up and is rather of a horizontal nature

         5. Reflection on the RoL at the level of the UN has led to the adoption by consensus of the 'High-level Declaration on the RoL at the National and International Levels' by the UNGA in 2012

            1. The Declaration is the fruit of a lengthy process that demonstrates both the importance attached to the rule of law as well as the difficulties to reach a consensus on it at the international level.

            2. The result is a rather comprehensive document that recognises both the importance of the rule of law as a principle on which the relationship between states should be based, as well as its fundamental contribution to the three main pillars of the UN, i.e. peace and security, human rights and development.

            3. The two characteristics of the Declaration:

               1. First, the Declaration recognises the diversity in understandings of the rule of law as it points to the "broad diversity of national experiences in the area of the rule of law".

                  1. The rule of law is, in other words, recognised as a home-grown concept whose definition and content vary depending on the legal culture, constitutional tradition, economic, social and political system of the state at hand.

               2. Second, the Declaration insists that rule of law, human rights and democracy are 'interlinked and mutually reinforcing'

                  1. It therefore endorses a substantive (or "thick") understanding of the rule of law that incorporates "elements of political morality".

                  2. The relationship between these three core principles of the UN was furthermore reaffirmed by some of the pledges made by UN Member States and by the EU

            4. The Declaration does not contain a comprehensive definition of what the rule of law at the national and international levels actually means

               1. While there is no UN operational definition of the RoL, the main reference remains a definition given by Kofi Anna:

                  1. "A principle of governance in which all persons, institutions and entities, public and private, including the State itself, are accountable to laws that are publicly promulgated, equally enforced and independently adjudicated, and which are consistent with international human rights norms and standards. It requires, as well, measures to ensure adherence to the principles of supremacy of law, equality before the law, accountability to the law, fairness in the application of the law, separation of powers, participation in decision-making, legal certainty, avoidance of arbitrariness and procedural and legal transparency."

            5. In light of this, Burnay and Wouters aim to understand China's contributions to the international rule of law in the UN"s principal organ that has the primary responsibility for the maintenance of peace and security (the UNSC)

               1. As a permanent member of the UNSC, China has a veto right that makes it a significant actor in UNSC rule of law activities.

      2. The UN Security Council and the International Rule of Law

         1. It is generally known that the UNSC is a highly political body where the main power among the 15 members is concentrated in the hands of the five veto-wielding permanent members (P5)...

Buy the full version of these notes or essay plans and more in our Chinese Law Notes.