“BY ENDS & MEANS: The Relevance and Practical Use of Public International

Law”
Submitted by: Myckaella Nicole Soriano

By definition, the Public International Law (PIL) governs how states and other
international subjects act within their respective jurisdictions and in reciprocal
relationships in order to achieve peace and international cooperation (Briceño, 2019).
This set of laws consists of the legal system which functions as a maneuvering tool for
how all States and other subjects of an international nature behave. More than this, PIL
is responsible for regulating the several competencies and relations established among
countries, primarily on certain common aspects and principles, in order to guarantee
interstate exchanges and harmony using standards obtained from particular
international bodies. Across many respects, it is conjured up of the international
society's judicial framework. Over what is recognized as the "human community," which
again is made up entirely by a grant scheme and a sustainably grown, sociocultural,
and synthetic manifestation, from which it is generated and for which this legal
convention is constructed, public international law has an intertextuality base of an
international character. From here, we see that the function of PIL goes beyond what is
seen on the surface. For the reason that social systems normally take time to improve
with vigorous research and paradigm shifts, we cannot simply say that failure to address
socio-political and socio-economic issues on the ground render PIL irrelevant as a field
of study in political law. A linked point of reference for this is the United Nations’
Sustainable Development Goals (SDG). While SDGs are designed to achieve all
seventeen goals by a specific timeframe, not completely eliminating poverty, violence
and crime, global warming, and even gender inequality does not necessarily mean that
SDGs are irrelevant. They serve as our foresight for a better society and through the
recognition of the underlying problems for each SDG, inactions are replaced by
initiatives coming from different people across cultures. In the context of the programs
and events relevant to this, it allows for the diversification of ideas to which we could
achieve the goals and allows for a fruitful collaboration with people around the world. In
as much as SDGs remain highly significant in helping nations picture clear objectives for
sustainable development, PIL is similarly valuable in serving as a default design for a
nation’s order. Not only does it provide the general basis to prioritize the welfare and
protection of community members, but also encourages advancements through the
reactions and suggestions brought by public cognizance of the laws. It is also important
to remember that there is a high value associated with PIL in the study of political law,
as it basically oversees the creation and scrutiny of laws under countries. Without it,
there would be no basis or margins in formulating mandates, rules, regulations, and
even policies. Laws would be too vague to interpret and apply which might cause more
damage than it intends to do good. It is outrageous, to say the least, that recent laws
under the current administration such as the Anti-Terror Law fall under this category.
However, we subsequently see the importance of PIL in this matter, as several states
have also condemned the broadness of this law. This opposition, including those from
the locals, evidently stems from the knowledge that there PIL is existent and should be
abided by.

While it is true that not all heads of state, presidents, prime ministers, monarchs
do not really ensure accountability, these conditions do not necessarily undermine the
significance of studying the development in laws. Studying the law goes beyond the
mere implementation of these legislations. It goes beyond the ends, that is the
enactment of these laws to be followed by constituents, and the means which is the way
in which acts and bills are deliberated upon by the legislature. It really boils down to the
purpose of having a more comprehensive and collective understanding of why these
regulations are implemented to sustain government systems. For the Philippines, it is a
democracy. To study law is to read between the lines, in simple words. At the very least,
to study the law and be knowledgeable of the constitution is among the basic
responsibilities of a citizen. In fact, this is where the democracy in the Philippines
stagger, because more often than not, voters are unaware and to a certain extent,
blatantly ignorant of laws. Moreover, it is also worthy to note that the significance of
studying the development in the law lies in its role in structuring the relationships
between members belonging to the international community. While the regime of
international relations lacks substantial enforcement mechanisms to ensure that
accountability is properly addressed by relevant state and non-state actors, it is valuable
that we have this set of laws to ensure international peace and security. The
establishment of legal norms through the sources of international law as a baseline for
peace and order on which nations' social orders can be based is still necessary. While
this does not guarantee accountability, there is always room for coordination leading to
a paradigm advancement in the context of these laws. Perhaps, what matters is that
there are existing laws to abide by and that there are more laws to be deliberated in
hopes to produce one that would ensure accountability. What could be done to mitigate
the current issues surrounding the power and effectiveness of these laws is in the
hands of the higher-ups. A formal meeting for deliberations and scrutiny of the laws as
well as the countries not abiding by each should take place and all together work to
arrive at a more doable, efficient, universally acceptable, and human rights-pivoted
solution. After all, a worse situation could be pictured without the existence of these
laws.

Having established the importance and relevance of the Public International Law
both in the field of studying political laws and in studying the development in such, we
now look at the role of educational institutions in ensuring PIL remains a robust field of
political law that is timely and relevant. Education institutions are a critical tool in
ensuring that today’s youth is continuously cultivating their sense of shared
responsibility for our common future. This is why knowing about the laws, particularly
the PIL, is a vital part of global citizenship education. Professors can preserve this field's
potency and relevancy by highlighting to their students the importance of public officials
being responsible, fair, and available to all. They must also inculcate among the youth
the belief that by learning systems of law that safeguard human rights, such as
governance and justice, they would become crucial and equipped general public who
are able to actively participate and engage constructively in their society. On the same
end, students can contribute to this objective by utilizing their knowledge to sustain and
advance laws, adhering to universal rights and fundamental freedoms, and developing
mutual trust across contemporaries and, finally, public institutions. A more specific
recommendation for how this could be accomplished is for schools to adopt and enforce
a transparency culture by creating a policy of disclosing relevant information with the
community. Individuals at a young age will be aware of their rights, particularly their
right to information, in relation to the laws and regulations that the institution they are a
part of uses as a benchmark. Students also have the obligation to apply their newfound
knowledge, capabilities, principles, and dispositions to add value to society, thereby
further solidifying the foundation of political law as a broad discipline pivotal in sculpting
one's civic responsibility. On a personal note, in these challenging times, it is our utmost
priority to grip towards development hand-in-hand with our fellow community members
institutions. This and the unified knowledge of law systems and our rights are our keys
to survive and thrive, despite the changing tides of the modern world.

References:
Briceño, G., V. (2019, September 2). Public international law | What is,
characteristics, history, sources, branches. Euston96.
https://www.euston96.com/en/public-international-law/

How education can strengthen the rule of law. (2019, February 20). UNESCO.

https://en.unesco.org/news/how-education-can-strengthen-rule-law