Sources of International Law: New Tendencies in Soviet Thinking

In: American journal of international law: AJIL, Volume 83, Issue 3, p. 494-512

Abstract

As this discourse is devoted to the sources of international law in Soviet doctrine and the diplomatic practice of the USSR, I think that it is necessary to begin by characterizing my understanding of the contemporary Soviet doctrine of international law.In Western countries, the Soviet doctrine of international law is often regarded as monolithic, without internal contradictions and discussions. It is not so, though I would agree that there are some grains of truth in those allegations. On certain questions we have had too much unanimity in our social sciences at large, and in the doctrine of international law in particular. One could feel this unanimity particularly in the domain of the most sensitive political and legal problems.