The Silence of States in International Law

ongoing

International law is the law between States. It is identified by observing the behaviour of States and deriving rules from their behaviour. But, what happens when States do nothing? Can States be bound by their own silence? Can international law develop through the silence of States? Can States be responsible for doing nothing? What happens when States do not appear before international courts and tribunals? These questions are immensely significant for States, international courts and tribunals, domestic courts, and individuals, who are all interested in knowing what the obligations of States are and how they can be enforced within and outside international courts and tribunals. Yet, there are major gaps in our understanding of the meaning of State silence and its legal effects. This project is the first comprehensive study of the silence of States in international law. It will explore and analyze whether the silence of States can bind them, and if so, under which circumstances; the role of State inaction for the responsibility of States; and the effect of State inaction in the field of international dispute settlement, focusing particularly on the proceedings before international courts and tribunals. It aims (a) to make a major contribution to knowledge on the meaning of silence by providing a comprehensive taxonomy of the ‘silences’ of States and on the legal effects of different ‘silences’; and (b) to critically analyse whether a change in the law may be called for. The project will conduct research in wide-ranging and geographically representative State practice available in the six official languages of the United Nations, international jurisprudence and literature. It will also employ empirical analysis of the reasoning of government officials’ and international judges in order to assess the advantages and disadvantages of States silence, in the form of non-appearance, in international judicial procedures.