This edited volume analyzes the function and role of international law in a framework of increased global governance by focusing on how community interests are articulated and protected and how global public goods are provided in various domains. The chapters analyze the concept of community interests and the adequacy and effectiveness of the institutional framework and mechanisms established under international law to protect and safeguard them.
The volume is divided into four parts and begins with a preface by Judge Bruno Simma, who has pioneered work in this area. The first part of the book addresses some general issues, such as defining community interests, examining various forms of governance at the juncture of public and private international law, and whether international law and international courts are effective in providing so-called public goods.
Part II shifts the focus onto global commons and concerns, such as the accommodation and balancing of community interests under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, the potential for international organisations to protect said interests through countermeasures in responses to violations of erga omnes obligations, the prevention and punishment of corruption by large corporations, and the importance of good governance of natural resources in conflict-affected regions.
