Populism, the Pandemic & Prospects for International Law
- Populism has fatally weakened the world’s ability to respond to COVID-19, by undermining the capacity of the structures and mechanisms of international law to address the pandemic. The pandemic has exposed as a fallacy a key tenet of populism – to protect the ‘people’ of a nation from external forces, including international law. In fact international law, through the principle of self-determination, enshrines the ability of peoples to determine their own political organization. But this does not preclude agreement at the international level on matters of common interest to humanity as a whole that require community action. The prevention of infectious disease is just such a case, which states have long agreed could not remain solely the preserve of national polities, but requires a common international response. This paper, placing the current crisis in light of the development of international health law, critically examines the response of key populist governments to COVID-19 in order to address the larger issue of the implicationsPopulism has fatally weakened the world’s ability to respond to COVID-19, by undermining the capacity of the structures and mechanisms of international law to address the pandemic. The pandemic has exposed as a fallacy a key tenet of populism – to protect the ‘people’ of a nation from external forces, including international law. In fact international law, through the principle of self-determination, enshrines the ability of peoples to determine their own political organization. But this does not preclude agreement at the international level on matters of common interest to humanity as a whole that require community action. The prevention of infectious disease is just such a case, which states have long agreed could not remain solely the preserve of national polities, but requires a common international response. This paper, placing the current crisis in light of the development of international health law, critically examines the response of key populist governments to COVID-19 in order to address the larger issue of the implications of populism for the fate of international law.…
Author details: | Campbell A McLachlan |
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URN: | urn:nbn:de:kobv:517-opus4-483479 |
DOI: | https://doi.org/10.25932/publishup-48347 |
Title of parent work (English): | KFG Working Paper Series |
Publication series (Volume number): | KFG Working Paper Series (45) |
Publication type: | Working Paper |
Language: | English |
Date of first publication: | 2020/10/27 |
Publication year: | 2020 |
Publishing institution: | Universität Potsdam |
Release date: | 2020/11/19 |
Issue: | 45 |
Number of pages: | 31 |
Source: | First publication of the paper: SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3715745 |
RVK - Regensburg classification: | PR 2213, MK 8900, PR 2626 |
Organizational units: | Extern / Berlin Potsdam Research Group "The International Rule of Law - Rise or Decline?" |
DDC classification: | 3 Sozialwissenschaften / 34 Recht / 340 Recht |
Peer review: | Nicht referiert |
License (German): | Keine öffentliche Lizenz: Unter Urheberrechtsschutz |