INTERNATIONAL LAW AND PEACEFUL SETTLEMENT OF INTERNATIONAL DISPUTES IN SOUTHEAST EUROPE

INSTRUCTOR: Assistant Professor, Ilias Plakokefalos

Course Description

The objective of this course is to provide an in-depth analysis of the international law techniques of dispute settlement and their role in Southeast Europe. It analyses the founding principles of international dispute settlement, particularly the obligation to resolve disputes peacefully. Following the traditional approach, it examines the available methods of peaceful settlement of disputes. First, the non-judicial methods and the semi-judicial techniques, focusing on the interstate settlement of disputes and the settlement of disputes by international organizations. Then, it focuses on the judicial techniques offered by the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, as well as the World Trade Organization and the International Center for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. It examines how these techniques were used through specific case studies, such as the North Macedonian case, the Kosovo case, the Genocide cases and the Piran Bay case. It concludes with remarks concerning the contribution (or not) of these techniques to the settlement of disputes where countries of the Southeast Europe are involved. Special emphasis is put on whether the problems that caused the disputes were resolved.

 Course Aims

• To provide a basic knowledge of international law key concepts.
• To identify and assess the importance of international law techniques of dispute settlement.
• To understand and critically examine the choice of using specific dispute settlement mechanisms.
• To explore the reasons of success and failure in resolving specific international disputes in Southeast Europe.