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10. International Responsibility and Liability

1. Responsibility of States
2. Responsibility of International Organizations
3. International Liability


1. Responsibility of States

1.1 General Works
In addition to chapters on responsibility of principal textbooks on international law, the following works specialized in responsibility are useful.

  • D. Anzilotti, gLa responsabilité internationale des Etats à raison des dommages soufferts par des étrangers, RGDIP, t.13 (1906), pp.5-29.
  • R. Ago, gLe délit internationale,h RCADI, t.68 (1939-II), pp.415-554.
  • I. Brownlie, System of the Law of Nations, State Responsibility, Part 1 (Clarendon Press, 1983).
  • SFDI colloque du mans: La responsabilité dans le système international (Pedone, 1991).
  • R. Provost ed., State Responsibility in International Law (Ashgate, 2002).
  • IUE Colloque international de Florence 7 et 8 decembre 2001: Obligations multilatérales, droit impératif et reponsabilité internationale des Etats (Pedone, 2003).
  • James Crawford, Alain Pellet, and Simon Olleson eds., The Law of International Responsibility (OUP, 2010).

1.2 Travaux préparatoires

1.2.1 League of Nations

  • Official Documents
    • The Report of Subcommittee: League of Nations Publ. C.46.M.23.1926.V
    • Conclusions of the Report of the Subcommittee of the League of Nations Committee of Experts for the Progressive Codification of International Law (Guerrero Report)(1926): C.196.M.70.1927.V
    • Bases of Discussion Drawn up by the Preparatory Committee of the Hague Codification Conference (1929): C.75.M.69.1929.V
    • Texts Adopted in the First Reading by the Third Committee of the Codification Conference: C.351(c).M.145(c).1930.V
  • Privately edited travaux préparatoires
    • S. Rosenne ed., League of Nations Committee of Experts for the Progressive Codification of International Law (1925-1928), Vol.1 (Minutes), Vol.2 (Documents) (Oceana, 1972).
      - including documents prepared by the Preparatory Committee, such as the Bases of Discussion.
    • S. Rosenne ed., League of Nations Conference for the Codification of International Law (1930), Vols.3-4 (Oceana, 1975).
      - including official records of the conference

1.2.2 United Nations

  • ILC
  • Privately edited travaux préparatoires
    • J. Crawford, The International Law Commissionfs Articles on State Responsibility: Introductions, Text and Commentaries (Cambridge University Press, 2002

1.2.3. Others

  • Institut de Droit International, gInternational Responsibility of States for Injuries on Their Territory to the Person or Property of Foreigners,h Annuaire de lfInstitut (Session de Lausanne), 1927.
  • Institut de Droit International, gObligations and Rights Erga Omnes in International Law,h Annuaire de lfInstitut (Session de Krakow), 2005.
  • Draft Rules prepared by the Kokusaiho-gakkwai (lfAssociation de Droit International du Japon), in conjunction with the Japanese Branch of the International Law Association, with the view of contributing towards the Progressive Codification of International Law, as planned by the League of Nationfs Resolution, September 1924, Journal of International Law and Diplomacy, vol. 25, no. 6, 1926, pp. 599-648.
  • gDraft Convention and Comments on Responsibility of States for Injuries to Aliens Prepared by the Research in International Law of the Harvard Law School,h Supplement to the American Journal of International Law, vol.23, Special Number (1929).
    - the so-called "Harvard Draft", which includes various private draft conventions and reactions of States in its apppendix.
  • Draft Convention Prepared by Professors Louis B. Sohn and R. RDBaxter (Harvard Law School)(1961): F.V. Garcia-Amador, Louis B. Sohn and R.R. Baxter ed., Recent Codification of the Law of State Responsibility for Injuries to Aliens (Oceana, 1974).
  • Inter-American Conference, American Postulates Formulated by the Inter-American Juridical Committee (1961): Doc. OEA/Ser.I/VI.2, CIJ-61

1.3 Jurisprudence

  • Digest of the Decisions of International Tribunals relating to State Responsibility, Prepared by the Secretariat, A/CN.4/169, YILC 1964-II.
  • Supplement, Prepared by the Secretariat, to the gDigest of the Decisions of International Tribunals relating to State Responsibility,h A/CN.4/208, YILC 1969-II.
  • Responsibility of States for Internationally Wrongful Acts, Compilation of Decisions of International Courts, Tribunals and other Bodies, Report of the Secretary-General, A/62/62 and Add.1
    - a compilation of judicial decisions referring to the ILC draft articles or its first reading text.

1.4 Bibliography

  • State Responsibility for Internationally Wrongful Acts (Part 1). Principal Works Cited in the Reports of Mr. Ago. Document Prepared by the Secretariat, A/CN.4/318/Add.8, YILC 1980-II(1)
  • H.H.R. van Hamel, La responsabilité internationale de l'Etat: bibliographie sélective préparée par la bibliotheque du Palais de la Paix, La Haye (Centre dfétude et de recherche de lfAcadémie de droit international de La Haye, 1982).
  • M. Spinedi, gBibliography on the Codification of State Responsibility by the United Nations, 1973-1985,h M. Spinedi and B. Simma eds., United Nations Codification of State Responsibility (Oceana, 1987), p.395.
  • J. Crawford, gSelect Bibliography,h The International Law Commissionfs Articles on State Responsibility: Introductions, Text and Commentaries, (Cambridge University Press, 2002), p.368.
    - bibliography of works published basically after 1995.
  • "Bibliographie sélective sur la responsabilité internationale des Etats pour manquement aux obligations multilatéralesh Obligations multilatérales, droit impératif et reponsabilité internationale des Etats (Pedone, 2003), p.241.
    - bibliography of works dealing with the invocation of the responsibility of States arising from violations of obligations erga omnes.

2. Responsibility of International Organizations

2.1 General Works

  • gCan International Organizations be Controlled? Accountability and Responsibility,h ASIL Proceedings, 2003.
  • M. Zwanenburg, Accountability of Peace Support Operations (Nijhoff, 2005).
  • P. Klein, La responsabilité des organisations internationales (Bruylant, 1998).

2.2 Travaux préparatoires

2.2.1 United Nations

2.2.2 Private Codifications

  • gThe Legal Consequences for Member States of the Non-fulfilment by International Organizations of their Obligations towards Third Parties,h 66-II Annuaire de lfInstitut de Droit International (1996)
  • gAccountability of International Organizations,h ILA Seventy-First Report: Berlin Conference (2004)

3. International Liability

3.1 General Works

  • K. Zemanek, gCauses and Forms of International Liability,h in Bin Cheng and E.D. Brown ed. Contemporary Problems of International Law: Essays in Honor of Georg Schwarzenberger on his Eightieth Birthday (Stevens & Sons, 1988), pp.319-333.
  • J. Barboza, gThe Saga of Liability in the International Law Commission,h Melanges offerts a Hubert Thierry: L' evolution du droit international (Pedone, 1998), pp.5-22.
  • G. Lysen, State Responsibility and International Liability of States for Lawful Acts (Forfattaren och Iustus Forlag, 1997)

3.2 Travaux préparatoires

  • Analytical Guide to the Work of the International Law Commission: http://untreaty.un.org/ilc/guide/gfra.htm
    9. International liability for injurious consequences arising out of acts not prohibited by international law
    Sub-divided into
    9.7 International liability for injurious consequences arising out of acts not prohibited by international law (prevention of transboundary damage from hazardous activities)
    9.10 International liability for injurious consequences arising out of acts not prohibited by international law (international liability in case of loss from transboundary harm arising out of hazardous activities)