Democratic governance and international law proves to be an indispensable reading for everyone interested in the future developments in a broad variety of areas of international law influenced by the rise of the principle of democratic legitimacy karsten nowrot source german yearbook of international law. Prior to the end of the cold war the word democracy was rarely used by international lawyers few international organisations supported democratic governance and the criteria for recognition of governments took little account of whether regimes enjoyed a popular mandate but the events of 1989 1991 profoundly shook old assumptions. Democratic governance and internationallaw is a collection of nineteen essays from leading writers on democracy in the fields of international law and political science although most of these essays have been published elsewhere bringing them together in a single volume has great value for. Among the more important issues examined in the nineteen often densely documented contributions are the extent to which a right to democratic governance is affirmed in international conventions. Prior to the end of the cold war the word democracy was rarely used by international lawyers few international organisations supported democratic governance and the criteria for recognition of