This publication, edited by the directors of the Max Planck Institute
for Comparative Public Law and International Law in Heidelberg,
Germany, constitutes the first scholarly periodical to focus on
activities of the United Nations in the field of international law. It
recognizes the recent increased impact of the development of the World
Organization, its Specialized Agencies and other aspects of the United
Nations System, as well as their effect on the shaping of international
relations.
By concentrating on issues connected with the United Nations and
its initiatives, the Yearbook aims to facilitate a better appreciation
of the changes the United Nations has undergone during the constantly
fluctuating conditions of its first half-century, and to create a forum
in which the potential of international organizations to affect the
future course of international relations can be examined and assessed.
