Power And Justice In International Relations

Couloumbis/Wolfe balances between a current event (its approach could be called conceptual rather than policy) approach and a theoretical approach. It has a theme of power and justice.

Outstanding and thought-provoking, this book provides up-to-date and in-depth analyses of current developments in international politics. It highlights the (unilateral) use of force in international relations and its implication for international law, the chances and risks of international criminal justice, and the question of epistemic violence with regard to dominant discourses in the theory of international relations, such as nation-building and intercultural dialogue. Furthermore, the book focuses on conditions for global social and ecological justice in international economics against the background of financial crisis. It contributes in particular to a better understanding of the relation between power and justice in view of current global tensions while reflecting the work of the internationally acclaimed philosopher Hans Köchler.

This exciting new text adopts a challenging question-led approach to the major issues facing global society today, in order to investigate the nature and complexity of global change. Among other things it looks at the future of the state, the environment, the international political economy, war and global rivalries, and the role of international law and the UN in the post-Cold War world. The book devises a readily comprehensible "change map", which both incorporates a wide range of the fundamental concepts of international relations theory and suggests a number of new concepts capable of assisting the investigation of global change. This new framework is deployed to look closely at real world issues in order to isolate the crucial factors which determine whether or not mass hunger, for example, or enviromental abuse, can be eliminated.

When studying international law there is often a risk of focusing entirely on the content of international rules (i.e. regimes), and ignoring why these regimes exist and to what extent the rules affect state behavior. Similarly, international relations studies can focus so much on theories based on the distribution of power among states that it overlooks the existence and relevance of the rules of international law. Both approaches hold their dangers. The overlooking of international relations risk assuming that states actually follow international law, and discounting the specific rules of international law makes it difficult for readers to understand the impact of the rules in more than a superficial manner. This book unifies international law and international relations by exploring how international law and its institutions may be relevant and influence the course of international relations in international trade, protection of the environment, human rights, international criminal justice and the use of force. As a study on the intersection of power and law, this book will be of great interest and use to scholars and students of international law, international relations, political science, international trade, and conflict resolution.

The story of the movement to establish the International Criminal Court, its tumultuous first decade, and the challenges it will continue to face in the future.