UN General Assembly
1991

The declaration by the General Assembly of a United Nations Decade of International Law should lead to an intellectual effort linked to coordination between various participants. The task, if taken seriously, is a tremendous one. Among other initiatives, emphasis should be put on the implementation of international law in both the municipal and the intergovernmental spheres. There are various reasons why domestic application of international law by administrative organs and courts leaves much to be desired. There are a number of countries that would certainly benefit from more extensive and systematic information on the possible approaches to the problem of domestic implementation. But there is also room for improvement in some of the States where the rule of law is otherwise respected. Today there is such a massive influx of international law into the internal legal order of each State that the effectiveness of the process requires a very high level of expertise and very efficient functioning of the legislature, the executive and the courts. The Decade should be used to bring about progress in this field.