OVERVIEW

Although international law traditionally has been concerned principally with relations between states, in recent decades it has grown increasingly sensitive to relations between states and nonstate actors in certain areas. During 1999–2001, this trend continued, and was reflected in extensive practice relating to the United States. Some practice concerned the status of nonstate entities that had characteristics of statehood, such as Palestine and Taiwan, while other practice concerned the regulation of relations between private actors. Although the latter practice in this period is far too numerous to recount in detail, this chapter highlights interesting developments concerning claims by victims of the Nazi holocaust against other nonstate actors, and the roles of the U.S. government and other relevant governments in resolving those claims. Further, reflective of contemporary complexities presented to governments when seeking to regulate the transnational activity of persons, this chapter highlights the data privacy arrangement developed by United States and the European Union to regulate access to private data in the new information age.

NONSTATE GOVERNING AUTHORITIES

Status of Palestine Liberation Organization at the United Nations

The attitudes and practice of the United States, as the host state of the United Nations, with respect to UN membership questions are particularly important. On November 22, 1974, the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was granted observer status by the UN General Assembly.