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The Legal Value of the United Nations General Assembly’s Resolutions in the Interpretation of Treaty and Customary International Law Cover

The Legal Value of the United Nations General Assembly’s Resolutions in the Interpretation of Treaty and Customary International Law

By: Bui Tai Kien  
Open Access
|May 2025

Abstract

Resolutions passed by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) carry considerable legal weight, making significant contributions to the development of international law. For example, the International Court of Justice sometimes refers to them to establish customary international rules. Additionally, the Court has used UNGA resolutions to reinforce its legal interpretations. This raises an interesting question about the legal significance of UNGA resolutions in interpreting both norms in treaty and customary international law. Since the powers of the General Assembly are confined to matters within the scope of the present Charter, it prompts the question of whether UNGA resolutions can be applied to interpret norms in treaties beyond the Charter. To address these inquiries, the article seeks to explore the implications of these resolutions in interpreting norms reflected in treaties and under customary international law.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/vjls-2025-0003 | Journal eISSN: 2719-3004 | Journal ISSN: 2719-5872
Language: English
Page range: 35 - 53
Submitted on: Nov 4, 2024
Accepted on: Mar 16, 2025
Published on: May 15, 2025
Published by: Hochiminh City University of Law
In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services
Publication frequency: 3 issues per year

© 2025 Bui Tai Kien, published by Hochiminh City University of Law
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.