Admission Open –
On the Importance of International Law
From being branded as an esoteric subject to becoming one of the most important branches of law in terms of content and significance, international law has come a long way. The age-old questions, such as whether it is really law, whether it really exists, or whether it really matters if there is no international legislature or agency to enforce it, have become meaningless. It is a law; it does exist, and it does matter a great deal. Indeed, in this day and age, international law is all- pervasive.
International law is indispensable for the peaceful coexistence of nations. It is the foundation upon which international relations are built. It also has a pervasive nature in that it touches on nearly every aspect of our lives, be it our daily lives, leisure, travel, commerce, health, environment, personal liberty, public safety, or security. For instance, there are vast webs of bilateral treaties that determine where we fly, how we invest abroad, and how governments collect taxes. It is implicated even in matters as mundane as our ability to use mobile phones abroad or make calls abroad; use internet connections; use weather forecasts; use GPS navigation; and so on. Indeed, international legal standards are present in every aspect of our domestic life, be it human rights, the environment, trade, labor, finance, public health, and so on. These are areas of international law imposing duties on states, including India, and also conferring rights on individuals like you and me.
Be that as it may, the operation of a few areas of international law is a matter of profound concern in that they seriously disempower the ability of states, particularly underprivileged ones, to respond to calamities such as the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the entire world was unanimous that the only way in which the Pandemic could be overcome was by vaccinating everyone everywhere, this did not happen. Though vaccines had been invented and tried within a short time, because they had been patented by the Big corporations under the rules of the Intellectual Property Rights within the framework of the World Trade Organization (WTO), these entities and their financial sponsors (the rich countries of North America and Europe) had kind of enjoyed monopoly rights over the vaccines and other relevant therapeutics. This resulted in these lifesaving vaccines and medicines being made unavailable to ordinary people in so many Countries, especially African Countries. This was precisely the reason why India and South Africa had to submit a proposal within the framework of the WTO seeking temporary relaxation for COVID-19 vaccines and related stuff to ensure that not only the rich countries but also the poorer ones would be able to have access to and afford the vaccines, medicines, and other new technologies. The point being made is this: international laws, at least in certain situations, do not allow sufficient policy space to protect the basic rights of one State. A matter of grave concern indeed.
If international laws affect the basic rights (in this case, the right to health) of ordinary people in an adverse way, it makes eminent sense to take them seriously.
That is why at Vinayaka Mission’s Law School (VMLS), an exclusive entity called the Centre for the Promotion of International Law is established and is meant to be a hub of international legal thought and debate in India and South India.
Centre for the Promotion of International Law (CPIL)
Vision and Mission
To establish a centre for the learning, research, training, and promotion of and on international law and to support the development of international law as it relates to developing countries, and in particular India; To provide training and education in various international law subjects, including (but not confined to) public international law, international organisational law, investment law, law of the sea, international human rights law, cyber law, and international arbitration practise, on its own or in collaboration with other academic or professional institutions, for law teachers and students in South India; To conduct research in various areas of international law from time to time and to publish research papers, monographs, journals, etc., on international legal issues with a view to spreading international law knowledge and literacy in South India;
To explore the possibility of conducting online or offline degree or diploma courses in the specialised areas of international law mentioned above with a view to providing a foundation for students wishing to pursue careers in the field of international law;
Act as forums for discussion and debates on the major topics of their areas of concern.
On the Potential Opportunities
Qualifications and expertise in the domain of international law will open up a range of opportunities for law graduates. A law graduate can get into Government ministries, inter-governmental organisations such as the United Nations and its various allied institutions dealing with a myriad of subject matter, Think tanks doing research in the field of international law, non-governmental organisations doing, among other things, research and advocacy in the field of international law, legal firms dealing with areas of law having a bearing on any field of international law, the Banking sector, and social activism (if that is your obsession).
Litigation in the conventional sense of the term is also closely intertwined with a number of areas of international law. Take, for example, the area of international refugee law. Assume that a group of persons who have been persecuted in their own (foreign) land on account of their race, religion, political opinion, or any other ground recognised under the United Nations Convention relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951, approach you seeking refugee status in India. If you have some (minimum) amount of domain expertise in the area of refugee law owing to your training at the Vinayaka Missions’ Law School, you will be on a (relatively) much firmer footing in terms of dealing with the case. True, a great deal still needs to be done by you to be able to successfully win this case. The point being made here is this: a basic grounding in international law will make your legal task relatively easier.
So, what are you waiting for? Jump into the World of International Law!
