The Identity of Governments in International Law

Abstract The book gives an account of the international legal framework concerning the identity of the governments of states. It examines the concept of the government of a state in international law, including the objective international legal existence of a state’s government; the function of the government in representing the state; and other aspects of the relationship between a state and its government. With the benefit of these conceptual insights, it covers the law on the recognition of governments and the criteria for governmental status under customary international law. It examines also matters concerning the identity of governments and the representation of states in the context of international organizations.