1969 - F. S. Northedge - The Settlement of International Disputes

In this lecture, F. S. Northedge reviewed the work of himself and others in the understanding of how to come to peaceful resolutions within international disputes. He noted the creation of the World Court at The Hague, attempts by the United Nations General Assembly and a study by the David Davies Institute conducted by Dr. Northedge himself as recent developments. He noted the difference between disputes - which arise within a context of generally amicable international relations - and situations of friction - where there is an antagonism between different ways of life, religion or ideology. He explained that in his study approximately 60% of all disputes were settled peacefully, showing that the international system already has a reasonable capacity to deal with these matters. However, he cautioned that many times disputes are settled only through the rise of new disputes. He continued to classify different types of disputes, pointing out the uniquely territorial nature of the state that does not allow physical escape from problems with its neighbours and also accounts for the most basic type of dispute – the demarcation of borders. More problematically, states are not unitary and can have internal wars that draw in neighbouring states. He notes that the advent of nuclear weapons and the creation of the United Nations are the two biggest aspects of modern dispute settlement. He finally addressed the issue of whether some states are more dispute-prone than others, focusing on the relation between state power and disputes.