2025/08/20 by Emeziem, Cosmas
#Comparative and International Law #Financial Regulation #Jurisprudence #Soft Law #Taxonomy
paper · doi:10.6092/issn.2531-6133/21501
This article examines the influence of soft law on formal international economic law structures and develops a theoretical framework for understanding its systemic significance within the discipline. The study addresses two intersecting objectives: first, demonstrating that soft laws substantially impact commercial treaties, global financial regulation policies, investment agreements, and dispute settlement institutions; second, establishing that despite this broad influence, international economic law lacks a cohesive theoretical understanding of soft law’s systemic weight. The research employs comparative, normative, and analytical methodologies to examine how soft law functions as a contemporary mechanism through which seemingly benign taxonomies exert substantial influence in international economic law. The analysis reveals that soft law operates as a functional alternative when states and international law-makers cannot achieve consensus on treaties or hard law instruments. This study contributes to international economic law scholarship by providing a systematic theoretical framework for understanding soft law’s role and demonstrating its significant impact on formal legal structures and regulatory processes.