In his presentation, Dr Bordin examined the role of International Organizations (IOs) in the eye of international law. Taking the legal agency of IOs as a starting point, he zoomed in on the role of IOs in the evolution of general international law. Dr Bordin put forward two key claims. First, he argued that the practice of IOs is not a mandatory component in the process of formation of customary international law. Even though one can and should take into account the practice of IOs when identifying customary rules, such rules can be applicable to IOs regardless of their participation in the customary process. Second, Dr Bordin contended that IOs can only be bound by treaty rules to which they have given consent, which gives rise to the tensions between the treaty obligations of IOs and the treaty obligations of their members.

During the discussion with the members of the Globalization & Law Network, Dr Bordin also offered some interesting insights on the implications of IOs in the making of both international law of treaties and customary international law.

If you are interested in joining the upcoming Globalization & Law seminars, you can view the program and register here.