Norms in the contemporary world system are no longer established exclusively through inter-state agreement but increasingly, are becoming truly global. This is made possible by the rapid privatisation of law and the self-regulation of the transnational private sector. Other forces driving this epochal transformation are the overwhelming pre-eminence of the United States, the erosion of the role of the United Nations, and the appearance of new actors such as subnational entities and NGO's. They all contribute to the creation and ideological justification of new norms. This collection brings together critical studies on this complex process. Written by authors from eleven different countries, both established scholars and young specialists, the book challenges the often convenient rationalisations of regime theory, the governance approach, and 'post-national' or 'cosmopolitan' democracy, in order to explore the practical, theoretical and ethical implications of the new world of global norms.