The ongoing process of economic globalization has been accompanied by
a comprehensive and ambitious agenda aimed at incorporating developing
countries into the global economy. A critical feature of this agenda is
the prominent role played by international economic law as a vehicle for
bringing together the complex and seemingly disparate components of
economic globalization. The prominent role played by law is manifested
in the comprehensive codifi cation of international trade, the proliferation
of international investment treaties, the enhanced role of international
adjudication and the dominant role played by international fi nancial
institutions, such as the World Bank and the IMF, in national economic
policymaking and governance.