This paper seeks to shed light on a notion that is often considered essential in conferring global regulatory authority, but is rarely defined in contemporary scholarship on global governance: the notion of legitimacy. The authors center their analysis on the value of democracy as one of the...

This article examines the principles of accountability applied by the European Investment Bank in comparison with the practices of other Multilateral Lending Institutions. After a brief description of the EIB and its activities, the substantive and procedural principles governing the EIB's...

This paper examines how the growing network of bilateral investment agreements and the arbitral practice have gradually shaped the content of international investment law. It is argued that the mere repetition of like provisions in a multitude of investment agreements is not by itself evidence...

This paper aims at taking stock of the criticism directed at the mechanism of international arbitration for settling disputes between international investors and host states. This paper also analyzes and describes the main attempts at reforming the arbitral model in response to those criticisms,...

National Contact Points for Responsible Business Conduct, the remedy mechanism built into the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises, have just celebrated 20 years. This Perspective reviews their main assets and achievements since their creation and offers suggestions on how to enhance...

This paper intends to provide insights as to whether institutional investors, through the framework proposed by the UN Special Representative on Business and Human Rights, John Ruggie, can promote business respect for human rights worldwide. In this regard, the paper explains why investors are...

This article aims to analyze and interpret the views on international relations and international law expressed in Adam Smith's little studied Lectures on Jurisprudence, in connection with the works of Grotius, Hobbes and Pufendorf. In order to do so, the article first tries to unravel Smith's...

Institutional investors have an important role to play in encouraging high standards of corporate responsibility performance in the companies in which they are invested. Yet, while issues such as climate change now receive significant investor attention, the same cannot be said for human rights....

In recent years, better delivery in development has been at the center of development discourse. There is now wide agreement that today’s development challenges demand effective solutions that fully integrate the aspirations, voices, needs, and support of citizens. But how can the...