On the Legitimacy of International Institutions

Abstract:     
The concept of legitimacy can occupy a useful space in international law. For example, a de facto government is the legitimate government compared to a de jure government which is the lawful government. International customary law is legitimate by definition. But international institutions, although lawful, are less legitimate because their interests are exclusive - even though they purport to serve inclusive interests.

Number of Pages in PDF File: 16

working papers series