Commitment and compliance : the role of non-binding norms in the international legal system

Commitment and Compliance is the first book to evaluate the impact of state behavior of international norms adopted in forms that are not legally binding. The use of such `soft law' has increased dramatically with the proliferation of international organizations. Whether and how such norms can be used effectively to supplement or substitute for legally binding obligations forms the heart of this discussion. The studies in this book concern the nature of international law, how it is and is not constituted, and whether commitments that are legally binding can change the behaviour of states as well as or better than non-binding legal norms do The studies in this volume concern three interrelated issues: (1) the nature of international law, (2) the role of legally non-binding norms or 'soft law' in the international system, and (3) compliance with international norms. 0001266736......Page 1 0001266737......Page 7 0001266738......Page 43 0001266739......Page 61 0001266740......Page 91 0001266741......Page 134 0001266742......Page 170 0001266743......Page 189