International Relations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

International Relations - Essay Example ate activity (the use of the sea, outer space and Antarctica, international telecommunications, postal services, the carriage of goods and passengers by air and the transfer of money) and is a primary tool for the conduct of international trade. (The nature of international law) The basis of international law is the concern of the rights and duties of the states. In the system of values underlying international law is the principle of legal equals but not legal superiority. As the world of today grows interdependent more and more, every state is interested to abide by international law which ensures a stable environment for the international relations development. International law is believed to be based on reciprocity principle. The concept of reciprocity is fundamental to bilateralism. It means that equal social partners establish bilateral relationships that are not unidirectional but involve at least some element of quid pro quo. This concept of reciprocity may be responsible for a great deal of inter-state co-operation or exchange, outside or in addition to any international legal obligations. It is a principle of international law: in the context of general customary international law any state claiming a right under that law has to accord all other states has same right. (Byers) Norms of reciprocity emerged as meta-rules for the system in the absence of a recognized rule of law. We may talk of reciprocity in the case when parties’ incentives are aligned perfectly. (Parisis & Ghei, 2002) The vast body of literature proves that individuals are motivated by concerns of fairness and reciprocity. There’s no need for external enforcement mechanisms, such as a legal system, or a threat of coercion. Numerous authors (Axelrod R., Berg J.,) prove that cooperation is not based only on the model of self-interest and that reciprocity is an essential element of human behavior. The principle of reciprocity remains essential in international law, due to the