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| Book Chapter |
| Privately Generated Soft Law in International Governance: Comment on Francis M. Deng |
| Kenneth Abbott |
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International Law and International Relations: Bridging Theory and Practice Thomas J. Biersteker et al. eds., Routledge 2006 |
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Abstract: Francis Deng’s paper, “The Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement and the Development of International Norms†-- discussing the creation and impact of the Guiding Principles on Internal Displacement (GPID) -- makes a valuable contribution to our understanding of international normative processes. Deng’s paper combines a “practitioner†perspective, based on his decade of service as the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General on internally displaced persons, with an “academic†perspective, informed by constructivist international relations theory and related approaches that emphasize the role of norms in shaping behavior.Deng discusses a single case of norm creation and dissemination, so it is difficult to derive general conclusions from it. However, his paper suggests important issues and hypotheses regarding normative processes that should be pursued through comparisons with other cases. This commentary focuses on the nature and functions of privately generated soft law, drawing comparisons between the GPID and other soft law instruments. It also considers some issues relating to the creation and dissemination of private soft law norms. |
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