Experts, networks and international law

In the early years of the current millennium, questions about the architecture of global governance occupied the attention of scholars of both international law and international relations. To many, it seemed as though the traditional approaches to international governance and the traditional institutions of international law would be ill-equipped to deal with the problems of a globalised world, including climate change, pandemics, migration, financial market instability and international crime. The problems are complex and transnational in nature. Identifying problems, interpreting data and charting paths of action require the expertise of specialists and technicians, while the implementation of solutions requires flexible and speedy responses from state and non-state actors working in concert across multiple borders.