The globalization in international relations: International actors and the contemporary international system

Abstract

Both, international relations, as well as the international law have expanded their theoretical schemes thanks to the globalization phenomenon, and therefore they have given place to the study of new units of analysis, that is, new international actors and new subjects of international law that are involved in the international system. This article intends therefore, to show how the phenomenon of the globalization has influenced the emergence and subsequent study of new international actors, from the standpoint of international law, as well as, from international relations theory. In order to approach the analysis, it should appeal mainly to references and Anglo-Saxon authors of the last two decades, which has been considered the period in which it strongly began the advance of the of globalization phenomenon. After describing each of the actors the take part in the contemporary international system, it concludes that the current theory of international relationships cannot limit the exercise of political power to state agencies that traditionally have held it, thanks to the great influence of the market, capital flows and media, new international agents will also be international political power holders that influence decidedly the structure of the contemporary international system.