Is There a Stagnation in International Law?

This note explores how and why the actors, sources, and institutions of international law have significantly changed. States used to dominate international governance, but today industry, NGOs, foundations, and other organizations have emerged as significant participants. Multilateral treaties are becoming increasingly rare, with parties preferring to reach informal agreements. Collaboration has transitioned away from intergovernmental organizations, towards multilateral partnerships, transnational regulatory networks, and private standard-setting bodies.