Abstract
In discussing the evolution of the international trading system throughout his prolific scholarship, John Jackson consistently argued for the need to evolve from power-oriented diplomacy toward a system governed by law: … [t]he only appropriate way to turn seems to be toward a rule-oriented system, whereby the various citizens, parliaments, executives and international organizations will all have their inputs, arriving tortuously to a rule –which, however, when established will enable business and other decentralized decision makers to rely upon the stability and predictability of governmental activity in relation to the rule. 1 This simple, and yet very profound and fundamental idea was at the base of John’s work for many decades. Such notion had a profound impact on many individuals like myself who had the good fortune to become part of John’s large community of disciples in different parts of the world. In addition, this idea not only impacted the orientation of many governments’ trade and investment policies since the 1990s, but also still remains valid today when discussing the direction of the evolution of international economic law.