It is a challenging observation that the same term—declaration—is used in many different contexts, though always when a process of primary normative postulation is being initiated. Declarations may be made by any entity having some normative competence—states as well as international organisations, whether intergovernmental or non-governmental. The normative impact will depend on the functional and legal standing which the entity may have. Declarations made by States may relate to constitutional law or refer to some addressee in international relations. In the first case, they are used to introduce optimâ formâ some constitutional charter, generally for the proclamation of independence of new States. In the second case, they may be unilateral or collective. In both cases they are always public, since publicity is considered essential to achieve the required effect—an effect inherent in the very choice of the term. The political motivation for the choice may arise from revolution, war or international parliamentarism.

The end of the Second World War seemed to signal to many observers the onset of a new era of international relations and international law. The appearance of former colonial entities as independent and sovereign political units led both diplomats and academicians to divine a new world order for international relations. At the same time the consequent significant increase in the number of political actors in the international system changed not only its complexion but also its manner of interaction. It appears that there are still further developments in the offing whose full significance cannot as yet be fully documented. One aspect, however, which we can examine is the increasing importance of the transnational actor in international forums. Our intention in this paper is to examine several features of this development in international relations, law and organization as evidenced by the continually increasing participation of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) in the chambers of the United Nations.