The 1899 Convention provided for the creation of permanent machinery which would enable arbitral tribunals to be set up as desired and would facilitate their work. This institution, known as the Permanent Court of Arbitration, consisted in essence of a panel of jurists designated by each country acceding to the Convention from among whom the members of each arbitral tribunal might be chosen”.

The League of Nations was the first international organization of universal character. Along with it came the Permanent Court of International Justice in 1921 that was later replaced by the present International Court of Justice in 1946. 

In November 1947, acting under Article 13/1 of the UN Charter, the General Assembly established the International Law Commission for the “promotion of the progressive development of international law and its codification.” Progressive development is the “preparation of draft conventions on subjects which have not yet been regulated by international law or in regard to which the law has not yet been sufficiently developed in the practice of States.”