Abstract

International law was once the purview of national states' sovereignty, yet in recent years it has assumed a very different guise, almost in contrast with the concept of national sovereignty. This article examines the issue in the light of two aspects of economic integration that emerged during the last decades of the 20th century: the so-called «international regimes», and the international organizations created by multilateral treaties. The former saw the advance of private actors, instruments and ends as major players in international law, as can be seen especially in the field of direct foreign investments. The latter witnessed international organizations play a role similar to that of Norbert Elias «court society», with sovereign states complying to institutional conformity in place of French aristocrats performing the intricate rituals of Versailles.