The second issue of the UCLA Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs continues on its mission to provide a forum for the study of international questions from a multidisciplinary perspective while bridging the gap between scholar and practitioner of international law and politics.
The current issue stands as a historical snapshot of the politics of international relations in the mid-1990s. The reader should appreciate the issue for what it is–a rare opportunity to witness a public dialogue by international actors attempting to speak to a variety of audiences, both domestically and abroad. The student of international law and politics will find the tenor of the articles at least as instructive as their content. By boldly addressing some of the most topical and delicate international issues facing today’s world, the Journal stakes its claim as a unique publication dedicated to facilitating international communication and sparking scholarly debate across disciplines.
One such issue is the problem of the international trade in narcotics. The essay by the embattled president of Colombia, Ernesto Samper, raises the question of how the international community can best confront the challenge presented by the drug trade. It must be viewed within the context of a nation and an administration striving to avoid international isolation. Coming from the head of state of one of the countries most directly impacted by the production and consumption of narcotics, Samper’s piece will hopefully spark further discussion of the topic while providing an insight into the thoughts of a policy maker confronted daily by the issue.
The majority of the current edition of the Journal is devoted to two of the most important questions facing Asia: (1) the effect of the return to Chinese rule of Hong Kong, and (2) the resolution of Taiwan’s legal status. One of the key actors overseeing the transition process in Hong Kong, both today and in the coming years, is its Solicitor General, Daniel Fung. He addresses the legal foundation for the return to Chinese sovereignty.
The ongoing international debate over the legal status of Taiwan is the focus of a special three-part Point-Counterpoint introduced on page 320. Following on the heels of the Fuji-Kodak trade dispute featured in our inaugural issue, the Journal plans to make the Point-Counterpoint segment a continuing instrument for the promotion of scholarly debate over issues of timely concern.
In keeping with its interdisciplinary mission, the Journal includes a comment by Mark Minikes and John Foyt. The authors successfully combine an economic and political analysis in their discussion of Argentine economic reforms. The comment provides a fascinating case study with implications for other Latin American countries and emerging nations worldwide.
The present issue of the Journal of International Law and Foreign Affairs makes a conscious effort to facilitate access to policy makers and scholarly viewpoints across disciplines that our readers may be unable to find elsewhere. With the addition of an outstanding Advisory Board, the Journal will continue to provide a forum for scholarship at the cutting edge of the nexus between international law and politics. – The Editorial Board. Available on HeinOnline, Westlaw, and LexisNexis.
ESSAY: Colombia’s Commitment Toward a Global Agenda Against Drugs, by Ernesto Samper Pizano. 1 UCLA J. Int’l L. & Foreign Aff. 265.
Foundation for the Survival of the Rule of Law in Hong Kong–The Resumption of Chinese Sovereignty, by Daniel R. Fung. 1 UCLA J. Int’l L. & Foreign Aff. 283.
POINT-COUNTERPOINT: China’s Perception of the Taiwan Issue, by Zhengyuan Fu. 1 UCLA J. Int’l L. & Foreign Aff. 321.
POINT-COUNTERPOINT: The International Legal Status of the Republic of China on Taiwan, by Tzu-wen Lee. 1 UCLA J. Int’l L. & Foreign Aff. 351.
POINT-COUNTERPOINT: Taiwan’s Case for United Nations Membership, by Parris Chang & Kok-ui-Lim. 1 UCLA J. Int’l L. & Foreign Aff. 393.
COMMENT: Argentina: Austerity Measures and Capital Flows Will the Peso Peg Be Held?, by Mark Minikes & John Foyt. 1 UCLA J. Int’l L. & Foreign Aff. 431.
Available on HeinOnline, Westlaw, and LexisNexis.
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