The Formation of the Customary Rule in International Law: An Evaluation of the Role of Non-governmental Actors

Customary international law, due to its particular features, has a significant position in the hierarchy of the international law sources and plays an effective and efficient role in the unification of behavioral policy of states. In the meantime, the role of non-governmental actors as well as the possibility of their direct participation in the process of the formation of customary rules has been seriously followed by the publicists. Nowadays with the extension and development of the role of non-governmental actors in the various international fields, the possibility of the effective participation of these actors has been considered in the process of formation of international law rules, but non-governmental organizations and individuals are yet not the principal and active subjects and it seems that there is a long way for the non-governmental actors that their position to be realized in the international community.