Legal advisers in international organizations: Uncovering a little-known world

The chapter introduces the scope and objectives of the book, detailing the necessity of shining new light on the role of legal advisers within international organizations. Little has been written about the operation of such legal advisers: the daily advice they provide and their efforts to ensure respect for the organization’s instruments and rules, the rule of international law, the law of international organizations, and human rights. They play a unique role in what is, ultimately, a specialized profession. In this context, the chapter poses novel questions: inter alia, how do legal advisers adjust their advice according to organizational specificity, political context, and their own institutional position? How do they contribute to the development of law? How does their advice differ from that of a governmental or corporate advisers? What is the role of collegiality and networking between legal advisers from different organizations? Key responses are introduced as the book’s structure is laid out. The chapter divulges a selection of challenges and opportunities for advisers and a narrative characterized by similarity and difference in practice; fascinating personal insights; and the essential devotion and contribution of advisers, not only to their own institutions but also to the protection and promotion of the rule of international law.