The emergence of private authority has become increasingly a feature of the post-Cold War world. In The Emergence of Private Authority in Global Governance, leading scholars explore the sources, practices and implications of this erosion of the power of the state. They analyse and compare actors as diverse as financial institutions, multinational corporations, religious terrorists and organised criminals, and assess the potential for reversal of the situation. The themes of the book relate directly to debates concerning globalization and the role of international law, and will be of interest to scholars and students of international relations, politics, sociology and law.