Author
Prof Bryan Druzin
Organisation/Institution
The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK)
Country
HONG KONG (SAR OF CHINA)
Panel
International Law
Title
Institutional Fragmentation and the Future of International Law in Asia
Abstract
The escalating rivalry between the United States and China is fragmenting the global order, forcing a re-evaluation of the foundations of international law. This dynamic of great power competition is catalyzing the creation of parallel economic blocs and institutional architectures, compelling states to align with alternative networks of cooperation. This article argues that such institutional fragmentation critically weakens the classical mechanisms that underpin state compliance with international law: reputational costs, reciprocity, retaliation, and outcasting. The coercive force of these mechanisms diminishes in a fragmented system because states, particularly in a strategically vital and diverse region like Asia, gain the option to pivot to alternative clubs, thereby reducing the long-term costs of defection. This erosion of compliance pressure poses a direct and multifaceted threat to Asia’s aspirations for a rules-based order grounded in sustainability, justice, and deeper regional integration. The stability of regimes governing maritime security, transboundary environmental protection, and trade—all crucial for Asia’s shared future—relies on a predictable and consolidated system. As the global order splinters, the article contends that these areas of international law will be affected unequally, with the most significant compliance risks emerging in domains where states perceive high-stakes national interests. The article concludes that for Asia to empower its rise amidst this geopolitical shift, it cannot rely on eroding hegemonic models. Instead, the region must proactively develop new, resilient compliance mechanisms tailored to its unique, multipolar reality. This demands legal innovation focused on strengthening regional institutions like ASEAN, fostering justice through shared norms, and building sustainable legal frameworks that can withstand the pressures of global fragmentation, thereby securing a more self-determined and integrated future.
Biography
Bryan Druzin is Associate Professor of Law and Legal Theory at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, where he teaches jurisprudence and ethics. His research focuses on institutional theory, international law, and global governance. He has held teaching positions at King’s College London, Brunel University London, and as a Visiting Professor at the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. He holds a B.A., LL.B., and LL.M. from the University of British Columbia and a PhD in law from King’s College London. He is former Director of the Faculty’s LLM Programmes and is a Non-resident Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Law, Conflict and Crisis (CILG) at the University of Copenhagen. He has published widely in journals at leading U.S. law schools, such as Harvard, Cornell, and Columbia, noted peer-reviewed journals, and has contributed to edited volumes from Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. His work explores how institutions and governance structures emerge, persist, and collapse—particularly where centralized authority is absent or weak. He has written on a range of topics in this area, from the self-ordering potential of international law to the evolution of social norms, rights, and inequality. He is the recipient of the CU Research Excellence Award, recognizing his innovative contributions to the study of governance in anarchic systems, and has contributed to media outlets such as the CBC National News, CNN, The Guardian, the National Post, and the South China Morning Post.
