Alternatives to Withdrawal from an International Organization: The Case of The European Economic Community

Abstract

The practice of omitting withdrawal clauses from the constituent treaties of many international organizations was highlighted by Nathan Feinberg in his article on “Unilateral Withdrawal from an International Organization”, acknowledged as “…the most thorough study of the subject”. In a detailed study of both State Practice and La Doctrine , Feinberg drew the conclusion that there exists no presumption in favour of the right of unilateral withdrawal, and that withdrawal is therefore permitted only if it is expressly provided for or can be inferred by implication.