Based on the process of State Succession, the number of independent states in the world rose from 48 in 1913 to today's 193 (taking into account only the UN members state), which shows the impact and importance of this process. As State Succession accompanies any change in territory, i.e. the transfer of territory from one State to another, the question always arises of the continued existence of rights and obligations of the First State that existed concerning that territory until the date of succession. Older theories rejected the possibility of the succession of rights and obligations that exist between states, which applied not only to international responsibility but to other succession matters (property, archives, debts, international treaties) as well.
The doctoral dissertation is based on the basic premise that in the phenomenon of Succession to State Responsibility, the basic element is "State Succession" concerning which "International Responsibility" is only the matter to be succeeded. It follows that the matter of succession must be weighted through the prism of the rules of State Succession and not the other way around. The dissertation presents an in-depth and comprehensive overview of cases of succession from the middle of the 19th century onwards and, based on this overview, specific rules of State Succession. The developed rules are then applied to the elements of international responsibility.
Based on stated above, the dissertation presents the first rules on the State Succession to State Responsibility for internationally wrongful acts, which derive from the general rules and principles of the Law of Succession of States, taking into account rigorous characteristics and limitations of the Law of International Responsibility. Because they emanate from the succession practice of the last century and a half, the presented rules are also widely applicable in all future cases of succession related to State Responsibility for internationally wrongful acts.
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