Progress is a familiar slogan in international law, commonly used to accompany claims for improvement or change. At the same time, the notion of progress is rarely explored as such in the literature. The book begins to address this gap by examining the function of the notion of progress in international law rhetoric and writing. By looking at three concrete case studies taken from 'everyday' international law,...

Progress is a familiar slogan in international law, commonly used to accompany claims for improvement or change. At the same time, the notion of progress is rarely explored as such in the literature. The book begins to address this gap by examining the function of the notion of progress in international law rhetoric and writing. By looking at three concrete case studies taken from 'everyday' international law, the book concentrates on explaining 'what is it' that makes a specific international law event synonymous with progress. The book engages questions of narrativity, objectivity, and truth in some of international law's founding progress narratives.

- Careful analysis of the notion of progress in international law - Review of celebrated moments of progress in contemporary international law such as the judicialization of international law - A fresh look at 'classic' moments of international law's history such as the creation of the PCIJ and the phenomenon and the doctrine of the sources