On Monday, April 4th Matthew Happold will give his inaugural lecture titled “Reviewing the Security Council: The Role of Other International Organisations”.

Although it is generally agreed that the Security Council is not legibus solutus, there is wide disagreement both on the extent of the Council’s powers, and on which body has the power to review the legality of the Council’s acts. On a number of occasions, States have asserted a right to review the legality of Council decisions and acted accordingly.

In particular, they have done so acting collectively through other international organisations. Prof. Happold argues that, unless the Security Council is legally unbound, a ‘power of last resort’ to review its decisions must rest with the UN member States. Any exercise of the power is problematic because it cannot be assumed that States always act in good faith.

Matthew Happold is Professor of Public International Law at the University of Luxembourg. Previously, he held positions at a number of universities in the UK. He has been a Visiting Fellow at the Human Rights Program, Harvard Law School and a Visiting Professional in the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

Reviewing the Security Council: The Role of Other International Organisations

• Lecturer:   Prof. Matthew Happold (Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance)
• Date:   Monday, 4 April 2011 at 6 pm
• Venue:   Campus Limpertsberg, Salle Tavenas (102a, av. Pasteur)