'The Secret of Tomorrow': International Organization through the Eyes of Michel Virally

• Published in: European journal of international law Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 543 - 564
• Main Author: Vinuales, J. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford Publishing Limited (England) 01.05.2012
• Subjects: Conflict management; Decolonization; Evolution; International Conflict; International Law; International Organizations; International Trade; Investment; Management; North and South; Organization theory; Philosophy; Studies; Virally, Michel
• ISSN: 0938-5428; 1464-3596
• DOI: 10.1093/ejil/chs024

The contribution of the late French Professor Michel Virally to international law is vast and touches on most areas of this discipline. Yet, Virally devoted particular attention to two main areas of inquiry, namely the philosophy of law and international organization. I have ana lysed Virally's contribution to the former elsewhere. This article focuses on his contribution to international organization widely understood as the study of international organizations and that of world organization. Virally considered international organization as a new political phenomenon, which would shape the dynamics of the two main driving forces of the second half of the 20th century, i.e., the East-West and the North-South divides. He developed a sophisticated theory of international organizations, with a strong functional focus. He used this theory to shed light on questions such as the management of international conflicts, the decolonization process, or the increasing influence of newly independent and developing states. His views on how these forces would shape the evolution of international law were far-sighted and allowed him to identify, with remarkable accuracy, the areas of international law where development considerations would require deep transformation, namely trade, investment, and the environment. In this regard, Michel Virally is also our contemporary and his contribution remains fully relevant for the analysis of international organization at large. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]