Soft Law with Hidden Teeth: The Case for a FAO International Plan of Action on Sea Turtles

To summarise the arguments in support of the FAO IPOAs acquiring hard customary law status, this paper submits that existing state practice to address and promote the principles of theCode of Conduct and the FAOIPOAs (regardless of howrudimentary the practicemay be) represents customary law conduct. Furthermore, the near unanimous support given to the WSSD Plan, and the recent law of the sea UNGA resolutions represents customary law conviction. Accordingly, the FAO IPOAs may be soft law with hidden teeth. Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.