Conflict of Rules in International Public Law: How WTO Law Connects with Other International Law Rules

Author: (China) Bao Weilin / Zhou Zhonghai et al
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: An important and urgently addressed issue in the field of international governance is how different branches and rules of international law interact and how conflicts between them are handled. In the absence of a single "international legislative body" and with numerous countries, international organizations, and courts formulating and enforcing laws, the international legal system is fragmented. This state has led to significant differences among international law rules, ranging from international customary law and general principles of law to bilateral and multilateral treaties in areas such as trade, environment, human rights, and maritime law. Bao Weilin provides a framework for how these different rules interact, focusing on the relationship between WTO law and other international law rules. He also explores the hierarchy of various rules within the WTO treaty, repeatedly addressing the theme of how to integrate trade and non-trade rules, or economic and non-economic objectives, at the level of international law.