Governing the International System: An Ideal Government

Laws are an integral part of any state's system. Every country has them, and each country is affected greatly by the laws that it creates and how it enforces them. International law, however, affects not only one country but the whole world. International law as defined by Brittanica Encyclopedia is "a body of legal rules, norms, and standards that apply between sovereign states and other entities and that are legally recognized as international actors.[i]" Therefore, international law must be quite important to the world stage. What would be the system of international law that would serve the best justice to the world?

First of all, there must be diplomacy and cooperation among nations. Diplomacy has received a bad name, because of two opposing perspectives. Some frown upon diplomacy because they believe that negotiation is inseparable from accommodation and almost indistinguishable from surrender. Others seemingly believe that diplomacy can solve nearly all problems, even those involving people dedicated to destruction. When such efforts fail, as they inevitably do, diplomacy itself is blamed, rather than the flawed approach that led to their failure. Diplomacy itself is a good approach because it allows each voice to be heard and compromises to be made.

Secondly, there must be a strong international system. Transnational terrorists and other rogue actors have difficulty operating where the state system is strong, and they flourish where it is weak. Therefore, if the international system is strong, these people will encounter greater resistance and much more difficulty against a united front. One of the first steps to achieving this goal can be to expand NATO's membership[ii]. NATO and other international relations should be open to all countries, regardless of location. The more united and cooperated the nations are, the stronger the world system will be against terrorists and other such threats. Cooperation and presented a united front are a key essential to governing the international system effectively, in my opinion.