Prof. Michael RAMSDEN has published a new monograph “International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly” (Edward Elgar Publishing, 2021).

International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly probes the role that the UN’s plenary body has played in developing international criminal law and addressing country-specific impunity gaps. It covers the General Assembly’s norm-making capabilities, its judicial and investigatory functions, and the legal effect of its recommendations. With talk of a ‘new Cold War’ and growing levels of plenary activism in the face of Security Council deadlock, this book will make for timely and essential reading for all in the field of international criminal justice. 

For details, please click here.  

Critical acclaim: 

• ‘International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly is a much-needed account of the UN General Assembly’s under-studied role in international law-making. Ramsden’s comprehensive review of the UNGA’s role since its founding to advance international accountability for atrocity crimes provides important insight into how UNGA resolutions, Commissions of Inquiry, and other tools shape the jurisprudence of courts, regional bodies, and other UN organs. Ramsden’s analysis is an important contribution to understanding the relationship between aspiration and actualization in international law.’
  – Charlotte Ku, Texas A&M University, School of Law, US
• ‘International Justice in the United Nations General Assembly was a revelation. The UN General Assembly occupies a marginal place in most International Law and International Relations scholarship, appearing now and then but rarely as an important protagonist. Michael Ramsden shows how wrong that perspective is in the domain of international justice. Ramsden reveals and carefully assesses the multiple, often indirect, ways in which the General Assembly influences the development of norms, shapes the international justice agenda, motivates political pressure, and promotes action to advance accountability for atrocity crimes.’
  – Wayne Sandholtz, University of Southern California, US