PrF:MVE010K International Organizations - Course Information

MVE010K The Law and Practice of International Organizations

Extent and Intensity

2/0/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: k (colloquium).

Teacher(s)

JUDr. Kateřina Uhlířová, Ph.D., LL.M. (lecturer)

Guaranteed by

JUDr. Kateřina Uhlířová, Ph.D., LL.M.
Department of International and European Law – Faculty of Law
Contact Person: Jana Dopitová
Supplier department: Department of International and European Law – Faculty of Law

Prerequisites

Fluency in oral and written English. There is no course or other requirement that a student must have taken prior to enrolling in this course. However, there is an advisement recommendation: certain knowledge or at least genuine interest in (international) law and international politics would be helpful and useful for securing an active interaction during the classes.

Course Enrolment Limitations

The course is offered to students of any study field.

Course objectives

Global problems - such as international security/armed conflict, gross violations of human rights, international environmental protection, pandemics - require global solutions. The decisions and actions of international organizations therefore play an increasingly important role in today's world. The growing importance of international organizations requires knowledge of their law and practice. Hundreds of international organizations directly or indirectly affect our daily lives and play an important role in shaping international policies. The theory and practice of international organizations is a dynamic and important dimension of the global politics. International organizations have evolved over time into key actors in international relations and important subjects of international law with different competences in most areas of human activity. The aim of the “International Institutional Law” course is to provide students from different disciplines with the latest developments in this field and to introduce them to the law of (universal or regional) international organizations (mainly, the United Nations, international criminal tribunals, the European Court of Human Rights, the World Trade Organization, the World Bank, NATO or the African Union) through up-to-date case studies and core materials. Although these organizations have vastly different objectives, mandates, and areas of activity, they also share a wide range of institutional characteristics. Through cross-cutting institutional issues, the course covers key topics that shape much of the current discourse on international organizations: the definition and origins of international organizations, membership, powers, legal effects of their acts, organs/institutional structure, immunities, and international legal responsibility. 􏰜􏰼􏰙􏰐􏰜􏰖􏰕􏰱 􏰜􏰘􏰟􏰓􏰕􏰛􏰠􏰓􏰙􏰑􏰎 􏱄􏰣􏱀􏰚􏰜􏰣􏰢 􏰼􏰓􏰕􏰤􏰓􏰎 􏰀􏰑􏰠􏰛􏰕􏰢􏰘􏰜􏰖􏰕􏰱 􏰩􏱀􏰕􏰜􏰣􏱂 􏰝􏰜􏰕􏰖􏰎 􏰂􏰹􏰏􏰆 􏰾􏰛 􏰹􏰝􏰘􏰛􏰙􏰤􏰢 􏰥􏰕􏰛􏰑􏰵 􏰪􏰘􏰜􏰡􏰚􏰰􏰑􏰖􏰕􏰛􏰙􏰚􏰣􏰱􏰩 􏰓􏰤􏰚􏰥􏰢􏰞􏰕􏰱􏰙􏰐 􏰪􏰰􏰱􏰪􏰓􏰖􏰜􏰣􏱂􏰙􏰐 􏰡􏰚􏰥􏰖􏰛􏰱 􏰓 􏰡􏰚􏱀􏰻􏰑􏰺􏰕􏰱􏰙􏰐 􏰩􏰓􏰚􏰑􏰘􏰛􏰢􏰞􏱁􏰨 􏰗􏰰􏰑􏰡􏰚􏰜􏰎 􏰻􏰑 􏰩􏰓􏰺􏰱 􏰚􏰽􏰚􏰜 􏰜􏰘􏰟􏰓􏰕􏰛􏰠􏰓􏰙􏰑 􏰠􏰕􏰓􏰾􏰕􏱀 􏰜􏰖􏰞􏰛􏰿􏰕􏰫 􏰙􏰱􏰞􏰑􏰎 􏰪􏰘􏰓􏰣􏰜􏰩􏰜􏰙􏰛 􏰛 􏰜􏰼􏰞􏰓􏰡􏰚 􏰾􏰛􏰕􏰕􏰜􏰡􏰚􏰛􏰎 􏰡􏰖􏰱􏰞􏰑􏰺􏰱 􏰚􏰓􏰤􏰫 􏰿􏰛􏰘􏰜􏰤􏰜􏰥 􏰿􏰤􏰢 􏰛􏰕􏰡􏰚􏰛􏰚􏰥􏰙􏰛􏰜􏰕􏰢􏰞􏰕􏰱􏰙􏰐 􏰙􏰐􏰓􏰘􏰓􏰤􏰚􏰑􏰘􏰛􏰡􏰚􏰛􏰤􏰨 􏰧􏰥􏰘􏰠 􏰪􏰘􏰜􏰡􏰚􏰰􏰑􏰖􏰕􏰛􏰙􏰚􏰣􏰱􏰩 􏰪􏰘􏱁􏰰􏰑􏰠􏰜􏰣􏱂􏰙􏰐 􏰛􏰕􏰡􏰚􏰛􏰚􏰥􏰙􏰛􏰜􏰕􏰢􏰞􏰕􏰱􏰙􏰐 􏰜􏰚􏰢􏰠􏰤􏰑􏰤 􏰪􏰜􏰤􏰘􏱂􏰣􏰢 􏰤􏰞􏰱􏰾􏰜􏰣􏰢 􏰚􏰫􏰩􏰓􏰚􏰓􏰎 􏰤􏰚􏰑􏰘􏰢 􏰝􏰜􏰘􏰩􏰥􏰺􏰱 􏰣􏱀􏰚􏰿􏰛􏰕􏰥 􏰡􏰜􏰥􏰾􏰓􏰡􏰕􏰫􏰐􏰜 􏰖􏰛􏰡􏰤􏰥􏰘􏰠􏰥 􏰜 􏰩􏰑􏰠􏰛􏰕􏰢􏰘􏰜􏰖􏰕􏰱􏰙􏰐 􏰜􏰘􏰟􏰓􏰕􏰛􏰠􏰓􏰙􏰱􏰙􏰐􏰬 􏰖􏰑􏰝􏰛􏰕􏰛􏰙􏰑 􏰓 􏰣􏰠􏰕􏰛􏰤 􏰩􏰑􏰠􏰛􏰕􏰢􏰘􏰜􏰖􏰕􏰱􏰙􏰐 􏰜􏰘􏰟􏰓􏰕􏰛􏰠􏰓􏰙􏰱􏰎 􏰾􏰞􏰑􏰕􏰡􏰚􏰣􏰱􏰎 􏰪􏰘􏰓􏰣􏰜􏰩􏰜􏰙􏰛􏰎 􏰪􏰘􏰢􏰣􏰕􏰱 􏱆􏰾􏰛􏰕􏰤􏰽 􏰺􏰑􏰺􏰛􏰙􏰐 􏰓􏰤􏰚􏱁􏰎 􏰜􏰘􏰟􏰢􏰕􏰽􏰄􏰛􏰕􏰡􏰚

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide students from different disciplines with an understanding of the importance of international organizations in contemporary international law and politics. This course will enable students to: (1) become familiar with existing theories, concepts and functions of international organizations; (2) be able to assess the legal dimensions of international organizations; (3) think critically and theoretically about the dynamic roles of international institutions whose activities have practical implications for all states and their citizens.The aim of the course is, broadly speaking, to provide a deeper understanding of what "law" means in modern society and how international law works (or does not work) in a global world, and to enable students to participate in this ongoing dialogue.􏱄􏰣􏱀􏰚􏰜􏰣􏰢 Transferable skills • Logical thinking • Analysis of complex ideas, arguments and theories • Problem-solving • Intellectual independence • Communication skills

Syllabus

• Students will develop the ability to think critically about regional and international politics, ideas and institutions, including some of today's most pressing issues: -The shifting balance of international power -The challenges of human rights and global development -Environmental sustainability -Struggles for democracy -The threat of terrorism -The changing balance between government and civil society. The topics, including the selection of international organizations and relevant case-law, will be specified via MS Teams.

Teaching methods

The format of the course will be primarily lectures and structured discussions, which allow for immediate feedback. The course is designed to be interactive, combining teaching with in-class analysis of interesting and pivotal cases and materials. The choice of topics/global issues and the use of case studies will be designed to engage students across disciplines, while providing practical benefits and opportunities for them to use in practice. An important method of developing students' ability to critically understand the role and impact of international organizations is the active use of case studies, including cases illustrating institutional complexity. If the situation permits, the lecturer would like to invite various international experts (UN, NATO, EU, Council of Europe) to discuss with the students the function and role of the respective organization and the most interesting issues arising from its functioning. The lecturer will use not only theoretical but also her practical work experience (International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia/The Hague), training/teaching at the operational level (The NATO School/Oberammergau and KFOR/Kosovo) or consulting activities (UNODC, Council of Europe, OSCE).

Assessment methods

Assessment method: emphasis on ongoing in-class activity, engagement in discussions, and submission of a "position paper" (maximum length 2,5 pages) on a selected topic/issue at the end of the course. Possibility of individual consultations with the lecturer (in person or via MS Teams) relating to any discussed topics or to the content and style of the position paper. Position paper: a position paper presents one side of an arguable opinion about an issue. The goal of a position paper is to convince the audience that your opinion is valid and defensible. Ideas that you are considering need to be carefully examined in choosing a topic, developing your argument, and organizing your paper. It is very important to ensure that you are addressing all sides of the issue and presenting it in a manner that is easy for your audience to understand. Your job is to take one side of the argument and persuade your audience that you have well-founded knowledge of the topic being presented. It is important to support your argument with evidence to ensure the validity of your claims, as well as to refute the counterclaims to show that you are well informed about both sides (You can find more information and guidance at: https://www.sfu.ca/cmns/130d1/WritingaPositionPaper.htm).

Language of instruction

English

Further comments (probably available only in Czech)

The course is taught annually.
The course is taught: every week.

Teacher's information

Course will be offered on-line via MS Teams

• Enrolment Statistics (Autumn 2022, recent)
  
• Permalink: https://is.muni.cz/course/law/autumn2022/MVE010K