Meaningful Dialogue Through a Common Discourse: Law and Values in a Multi-Polar World

Abstract

The theme of the Second Biennial Conference of the Asian Society of International Law—“International Law in a Multi-Polar and Multi-Civilizational World: Asian Perspectives, Challenges, and Contributions”—touched on a number of interesting aspects of international law. Three basic issues arise from this topic. First, how do we evaluate the current state of international law from an Asian perspective? Second, in an increasingly globalized world, why do we need a regional society of international law? And finally, what purposes do we expect this society to serve?In the post-Cold War era, the most evident change in international legal discourse is the universal assertion of values as the basis to promote the rule of law in international relations. Obviously, values are related, among other things, to culture. Any analytical inquiry into values and law in international relations should therefore begin by tracing the origin and impact of the international legal system. The Asian Society of International Law came into being at a time when international law, both in theory and practice, was increasingly confronted with these new challenges.