Disputes are inextricably linked to international relations. International dispute settlement is concerned with the techniques and institutions which are used to solve international disputes between States and/or international organizations. Increasingly these disputes are no longer just primarily between states but also between states and other parties like international organizations and other non-state actors, and between these actors mutually. In this context the Charter of the United Nations (UN) plays a major role, in particular, regarding disputes between states. Article 2(3) of the UN Charter states that all Member States have to settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered. This view was again confirmed in 1982 in a resolution (Res. 37/10) of the UN General Assembly, the so-called Manila Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes.
As the UN Charter does not prescribe in which way or by what means disputes need to be resolved, the parties are free to choose their international dispute settlement mechanism. In the framework of international peace and security Article 33 of the UN Charter provides a number of alternatives to choose from in resolving disputes, e.g., negotiation, enquiry, mediation, conciliation, arbitration, and judicial settlement. Notwithstanding the free choice of means the Manila Declaration underlines the legal obligation of parties to find a peaceful solution to their dispute and refrain from action that might aggravate the situation. The methods and procedures of international dispute settlement also largely apply to non-state actors. These various forms of peaceful dispute settlement are the subject of this general research guide. In addition, there are research guides available on International (Commercial) Arbitration, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, and the International Court of Justice. Information and resources on disputes concerning foreign investment and investment arbitration can be found in the research guide on Foreign Direct Investment.
This Research Guide is intended as a starting point for research on the Settlement of International Disputes. It provides the basic legal materials available in the Peace Palace Library, both in print and electronic format. Handbooks, leading articles, bibliographies, periodicals, serial publications and documents of interest are presented in the Selective Bibliography section. Links to the PPL Catalogue are inserted. The Library's subject headings (keywords) International Dispute Settlement, Judicial Settlement of International Disputes and Pacific Settlement of International Disputes are instrumental for searching through the Catalogue. Special attention is given to our subscriptions on databases, e-journals, e-books and other electronic resources. Finally, this Research Guide features links to relevant websites and other online resources of particular interest.
Sources of international law
Treaties
Case-law
- O'Connell, M.E., A.S. Bradley and A.J. Cohen, International Dispute Resolution: Cases and Materials, Third edition, Durham, NC, Carolina Academic Press, 2021.
- Tams, C.J. and A. Tzanakopoulos, The Settlement of International Disputes: Basic Documents, Second Edition, Oxford; London, Hart Publishing, 2022.
Reference works
- Buchan, R., D. Franchini and N. Tsagourias (eds.), The Changing Character of International Dispute Settlement: Challenges and Prospects, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2024.
- Castillo, L. del y A.R. Laborías (dir.), Cortes y tribunales internacionales: organización, competencia, procedimiento y jurisprudencia, Buenos Aires, Astrea, 2021.
- Cohen, H.G. (et al.), Legitimacy and International Courts, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2018.
- Cohen, H.G. (et al.) (eds.), The Performance of International Courts and Tribunals, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2018.
- Giorgetti, C. (ed.), The Rules, Practice, and Jurisprudence of International Courts and Tribunals, Leiden, Nijhoff, 2012.
- Mackenzie, R. (et al.), The Manual on International Courts and Tribunals (2nd ed.), Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2010.
- Menkel-Meadow, C. (ed.), Complex Dispute Resolution, Farnham, Ashgate, 2012.
- Merrills, J.G., International Dispute Settlement, New York, NY, Cambridge University Press, 2017.
- Petrova Georgieva, Virdzhiniya, editor. Los Medios Jurisdiccionales de Solución de Las Controversias Internacionales Avances Y Nuevos Retos. Primera edición, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Instituto de Investigaciones Jurídicas, 2022.
- Romano, C.P.R., K.J. Alter and Y. Shany (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of International Adjudication, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2014.
- Schabas, W.A., and S. Murphy (eds.), Research Handbook on International Courts and Tribunals, Cheltenham, Edward Elgar Publishing, 2017.
- Tanaka, Y., The Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2018.
- Tomuschat, C. and Kohen, M. (eds.), Flexibility in International Dispute Settlement: Conciliation Revisited, Leiden, Boston, Brill Nijhoff, 2020.
Recent books and peer-reviewed articles
- Amsler, L.B., J.K. Martinez, S.E. Smith, Dispute System Design. Preventing, Managing, and Resolving Conflict, Stanford, Stanford University Press, 2020.
- Baetens, F., Legitimacy of Unseen Actors in International Adjudication, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020.
- Brett, P. and L.E. Gissel, Africa and the Backlash Against International Courts, London, Zed, 2020.
- Brower, C.N. et al. (eds.), By Peaceful Means: International Adjudication and Arbitration: Essays in Honour of David D. Caron, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2024.
- Buchan, R., D. Franchini and N. Tsagourias (eds.), The Changing Character of International Dispute Settlement: Challenges and Prospects, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2024.
- Caserta, S., International courts in Latin America and the Caribbean. Foundations and Authority, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2020.
- Dothan, S., International Judicial Review. When Should International Courts Intervene?, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2020.
- Espósito, C.D. and K. Parlett (eds.), The Cambridge Companion to the International Court of Justice, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 2023.
- Jensen, Ø., The Development of the Law of the Sea Convention. The Role of International Courts and Tribunals, Cheltenham, Elgar, 2020.
- Kabre, R.J., Le rôle des juristes privés (avocats et conseils) dans le règlement des différends impliquant les États: étude à la lumière de la pratique devant la Cour internationale de Justice, le Tribunal international du droit de la mer, l'Organe de règlement des différends de l'Organisation mondiale du commerce, la Cour permanente d'arbitrage et les tribunaux arbitraux d'investissements, Bâle, Helbing Lichtenhahn, 2021.
- Le Floch, G. and M. Lemey (eds.), Le revirement de jurisprudence en droit international: Actes du Colloque de Rennes, 27 et 28 Juin 2019, Paris, Éditions Pedone, 2021.
- Powell, E.J., Islamic Law and International Law: Peaceful Resolution of Disputes, New York, NY, Oxford University Press, 2020.
- Stadler, A., E. Jeuland, V. Smith (eds.), Collective and Mass Litigation in Europe. Model Rules for Effective Dispute Resolution, Cheltenham, Elgar, 2020.
- Tabbara, A., Les actions de groupe dans le contentieux international, Paris, L'Harmattan, 2020.
- Tomuschat, C. and M. Kohen (eds.), Flexibility in International Dispute Settlement: Conciliation Revisited, Leiden, Brill Nijhof, 2020.
- Zang, M.Q., Judicial Engagement of International Economic Courts and Tribunals, Cheltenham, Elgar, 2020.
For all peer-reviewed articles in the PPL Catalogue, click here.
Periodicals, serial publications
- Journal of International Dispute Settlement
- Judicial Settlement of International Disputes (1910-1917)
- Law and Practice of International Courts and Tribunals
- McGill Journal of Dispute Resolution (Open access)
- Transnational Dispute Management: Table of Contents
Bibliographies
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law, Sociological Approaches to International Adjudication, by Salvatore Caserta, Mikael Rask Madsen.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law, International Adjudication as Governance, by Shai Dothan.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, International Courts and Tribunals, Non-Appearance, by Matthias Goldmann.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law, Domestic Law in International Adjudication, by Jarrod Hepburn.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law, Judicial Propriety: International Adjudication, by Alina Kaczorowska-Ireland.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, International Courts and Tribunals, Chambers, by Ruth Mackenzie.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law, Transnational Legal Process and International Adjudication, by Mary Ellen O’Connell, Sawyer White.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Judgments of International Courts and Tribunals, Interpretation of, by Karin Oellers-Frahm.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Judicial Settlement of International Disputes, by Alain Pellet.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Peaceful Settlement of International Disputes, by Alain Pellet.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, International Law and Domestic (Municipal) Law, Law and Decisions of International Organizations and Courts, Jörg Polakiewicz.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law, Codes of Conduct for International Judges, by Anja Seibert-Fohr.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of International Procedural Law, Effectiveness of International Adjudication, by Yuval Shany.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, International Courts and Tribunals, Procedure, by Jean-Marc Sorel, Lena Chercheneff.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, International Courts and Tribunals, by Christian Tomuschat.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, Nationality Cases before International Courts and Tribunals, Seline Trevisanut.
- Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law, International Courts and Tribunals, Evidence, by Rüdiger Wolfrum, Mirka Möldner.
- Répertoire de droit international: Justice internationale – Gilles COTTEREAU – Août 2006 (actualisation: Mars 2014)
Databases
- iCourts (Danish National Research Foundation's Centre of Excellence for International Courts)
- iCourt Finder
- iCourts Database of International Court Decisions
- PluriCourts - Centre for the Study of the the Legitimacy of International Courts and Tribunals
- PluriCourts - Research data on International Courts
- Cambridge University Press: Studies on International Courts and Tribunals
- iCourts Working Paper Series
- Pluricourts: Research Data on International Courts
- Oxford University Press: International Courts and Tribunal Series
- United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law, Lecture Series on Courts and Tribunals
- United Nations Audiovisual Library of International Law, Lecture Series on Peaceful Settlement of Disputes