Learning about International Law on the UN-related websites

“International law defines the legal responsibilities of States in their conduct with each other, and their treatment of individuals within State boundaries. Its domain encompasses a wide range of issues of international concern, …It also regulates the global commons…”.  This is extracts of a definition of international law on the UN website introduced to the 20 graduate students of international law from the University of Tehran, Tarbiat Modaress University and Allameh Tabatabaei University participating in “Finding UN Information and Documentation” workshop at the UN office in Tehran on 8 October 2015, AVA Diplomatic reports.

The workshop was conducted by UNIC Reference Assistant Ms. Nazanin Ghaemmaghami-Farahani, who elaborated on some basic facts about the UN and 70th anniversary of its establishment, which is marked this year.

A short film entitled UN 70 which includes facts role of Iran in establishment of UN and other facts about partnership between UN and Iran was screened.

Ms. Ghaemmaghami also explained how to find and retrieve UN information on the UNIC, and the UN websites as well as Dag Hammarskjold Library page on the web. Overview and searching through some of DHL resources and databases including UNBISNETand Official Document System (ODS) as well as UN-I-QUE: UN Info Questwere also included in the programme of the workshop.

The focus of the workshop was made on UN bodies related to international law such as International Court of Justice (ICJ), Courts and Tribunals,  General Assembly Sixth Committee (Legal), International Law Commission(ILC) and United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL). Treaty Collection and UN Audiovisual Library of International Law were among the legal resources introduced to the participants. They learnt how to locate a multilateral treaty and its status. A video on introducing ICJ was also screened during the session.

Mr. Arsalan Eskandari, one of the participants who organized the workshop expressed satisfaction of the group from the detailed information given to them during the 4-hour workshop.