Book Discussion: Informal International Lawmaking

Over the next three days we are bringing you a discussion of a brand new book, edited by Joost Pauwelyn (Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies, Geneva), Ramses Wessel (University of Twente, The Netherlands) and Jan Wouters (University of Leuven, Belgium), on Informal International Lawmaking, published by Oxford University Press. Here is the abstract provided by the publisher:

Many international norms that have emerged in recent years are not set out in formal treaties. They are not concluded in formal international organizations. They frequently involve actors other than formal state representatives. In the realm of finance, health, security, or the environment, international lawmaking is increasingly ‘informal’: It takes place in networks or loosely organized fora; it involves a multitude of stakeholders including regulators, experts, professional organizations and other non-state actors; it leads to guidelines, standards or best practices. This book critically assesses the concept of informal international lawmaking, its legal nature, and impact at the national and international level. It examines whether it is on the rise, as is often claimed, and if so, what the implications of this are. It addresses what actors are involved in its creation, the processes utilized, and the informal output produced.

The editors will discuss and summarize their finding in three parts. Today, Joost Pauwelyn will introduce the conceptual approaches of their research and their conclusions. Tomorrow, Ramses Wessel will discuss the legal nature and impact of informal international lawmaking, and on Thursday, Jan Wouters will discuss accountability and domestic implementation and elaboration of informal international lawmaking. Comments will be provided by David Zaring, Christopher Brummer, Tai-Heng Cheng and Paul Schiff Berman, and hopefully also by you, our readers!

Finally, we are delighted that Oxford University Press has decided to offer our readers the opportunity to purchase the book at a reduced price, which you can claim by clicking on the ad on the right.