Temporary Problems and Temporary Responses in International Law

In a recent issue of the Netherlands Yearbook of International Law (vol. 45, 2014) titled ‘Between Pragmatism and Predictability: Temporariness in International law’, the volume editors Monika Ambrus and Ramses Wessel weave together the chapter contributions in building a systematised way of thinking about change or temporariness and international law. A pertinent starting point to engage the phenomenon of temporariness in international law is to ask how international law can ‘react to or be influenced by’ constant change or temporariness. In an era when global problems constantly evolve due to, among others, their ties with fast-paced technological development, temporariness is a crucial and timely research agenda. This piece further highlights its importance by showing a particular dimension where temporariness is giving rise to a distinct trend in international governance -i.e. experimentalism.