Hegemony, Power and International Law

All powers are States but some States are more powerful than others. This chapter is meant to elaborate on one of the central ideas behind this book, that power indeed matters for international law and that there is an intimate connection between power and law. Building on that assessment it evaluates increased power of emerging powers and their potential to influence international law. Finally, the chapter connects the phenomenon of emerging powers with earlier calls for a New International Economic Order and shows that BRICS keep with Third World rhetoric and argue for moderate reform.