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Strengthening International Regulation Through "Transnational New Governance", Kenneth W. Abbott, Duncan Snidal

Kenneth W. Abbott

A new kind of international regulatory system is emerging: “Transnational New Governance” (TNG). TNG is emerging spontaneously, largely out of dissatisfaction with the failure of international “Old Governance” (OG) – acting through treaties and intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) – to adequately regulate international business. NGOs, business firms and other actors, singly and in novel combinations, are creating a plethora of innovative institutions to apply transnational norms to business, especially on worker rights, environmental protection and human rights. These institutions are predominantly private, and operate through voluntary codes and standards: private transnational “soft law.”

We depict the range and diversity of the …