Law is a system of rules, usually enforced through a set of institutions. Concerns relationships among sovereign nations. It has a special status as law because there is no international police force, and courts lack the capacity to penalise disobedience.The sources for public international law to develop are custom, practice and treaties between sovereign nations. The United Nations, founded under the UN Charter, is one of the most important international organisations. It was established after the Treaty of Versailles' failed to prevent the Second World War. International agreements, like the Geneva Conventions on the conduct of war, and international bodies such as the International Court of Justice, International Labour Organisation, the World Trade Organisation, or the International Monetary Fund, also form a growing part of public international law.

Conflict of laws or private international law in civil law countries concerns which jurisdiction a legal dispute between private parties should be heard in and which jurisdiction's law should be applied. Today, businesses are increasingly capable of shifting capital and labour supply chains across borders, as well as trading with overseas businesses. This increases the number of disputes outside a unified legal framework. Increasing numbers of businesses opt for commercial arbitration under the New York Convention.