ABSTRACT
The impact and influence of non-state actors and more in particular NGOs and MNEs is rather uncritically assumed then that it is critically investigated in most studies. Peter Muchlinski shares Davarnejad's socio-political assessment that, given the technological, financial and managerial advantages of MNEs, which are organized and operate across national borders, these actors have significant power and influence in the development of national and international economic and social policy. The question whether MNEs and other NSAs can be considered to act as 'law-makers' in the international legal process is the subject of this edited volume. Noemi Gal-Or discusses whether, from an international legal perspective, which presumes some legal status for some NSAs, it is desirable to enhance the legal status of the NSA. The chapter also explains the attraction of scholars to these heterogeneous representations of international law-making as an attempt by international legal scholars to preserve the importance of their expertise and that of their discipline.
