Skip to main content

Definition(s)

The global legal system, mainly created by States, that regulates the conduct of and relations between independent sovereign States, as well as actors within States. It includes a very wide range of subject matter, including the protection, conservation and management of the environment and natural resources. All 193 Member States of the United Nations are part of the Public International Law system. The system includes treaties, customary international law, and general principles of law, as set out in Article 38(1) of the Statute on the International Court of Justice (ICJ Statute).

Hierarchy