Rules-Based International Order. A Critical Appraisal

The purpose of this paper is to present and evaluate the concept of rules-based international order, which is formulated both in political doctrines and in the academia of Western countries, especially the USA and the EU. The concept is sometimes treated as a new form of international law or as an ideological/instrumental interpretation of it. Accordingly, the origin of the concept, its formal basis, the way it has been conceptualised by the US and the EU, its formal and content components are discussed. In addition, a political assessment of the concept is provided (Chinese, Russian). Moreover, the formal and content relationship of rules-based international order to international law is identified, assessing what the mentioned concept is form the point of view of international law and to what extent it is compatible with existing international law.