International Legal Theory and the Cognitive Turn

Cognitive and behavioural studies are making inroads into international law, international policy, and literature.Firstly, international practice is drawing increasingly on behavioural studies.The United Nations (UN) and its agencies have turned to behavioural science to confront new challenges faced by the international community, including the Sustainable Development Goals, climate change, and gender equality.Similarly, the World Bank and World Health Organization have created teams of experts to advise on the incorporation of behavioural insights to support their operations.Other international organizations are likewise following suit.Secondly, the cognitive-behavioural turn is generating innovative research work in disciplines neighbouring international law and is gaining similar traction in international legal scholarship. Yet, despite this, the implications of cognitive-behavioural studies for international legal theory remain under-explored.With few exceptions, international leg