International Law In The Unipolar World

This essay will try to discuss the above statement in the context of the nature of international law in the unipolar world. Firstly, the basic definitions will be placed into the essay such as the definition of international law together with its sources, questions on it and the definition of the unipolar world.

Secondly, we hereby will try to analyze why states, including the hegemon power, comply with the rules of international law in the unipolar world with the specific instances.

Finally, a comparison will be put forward between the unipolar world and today’s world in terms of the implementation of the obligations under international law, since the development of international law and accepted norms does not compel the states to comply all the time. Louis Henkin’s book, How Nations Behave, articulates the extent of compliance. He argues, “Almost all nations observe almost all principles of international law and almost all of their obligations almost all the time.”

INTRODUCTION

In the long march of mankind from the cave to the computer, a central role has always been played by the idea of law. Every society, whether it is large or small, powerful or weak, has created for itself a framework of principles within which to develop. Now, as a result of modern technology, communication, transportation and more, the evolving process of Globalization, “The internationalization of the world”, has provided an opportunity for international law and accepted norms to reach every corner of the globe.

Traditionally, international law consisted of rules and principles governing the relations and dealings of nations with each other, though recently, the scope of international law has been redefined to include relations between states and i...

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...hich was significantly “Unipolar”. The US has enjoyed a prominent status and role since then; its economy grew with tremendous pace, its military strength has been unmatched, its political influence in the international affairs has been uncontested, and its ideology of democratic principle earned its world leadership. Unipolarity was empirically refuted by the failure of the US-led “coalition of the willing” in the Iraq war. Many international legal scholars and foreign governments have argued that the recent war in Iraq violated international law. However, no state and no treaty could impose sanction on US.

On the diplomatic front, the US could not obtain approval from the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) for going into war in Iraq. The issue of pre-emptive war divided the US and the UK from their European partners — France and Germany — and other global