The Role and Function of the Great Powers on Formation and Expansion of International Law

Many researchers believe that, in the recent century, international law has grown and formed in order to achieve the goals of the great powers and in its shadow. In this way, the question is: Why and how great powers of the international system are determinative in the formation and expansion of international law. It seems that the great powers, due to their position in terms of their various capabilities, can be effective in the creation and expansion of international law in various ways, such as customizing and shaping international treaties. The purpose of this article is to investigate the role of major powers in the evolution of international law, especially space law. In any case, just as the great powers created classical international law which did not exist before, in the modern era, it is the position and capability of the great powers, especially in the field of technology, that has given these powers the opportunity to take the lead in these matters. So the present study claims great powers are shapers, stabilizers and advocates of legal rules. In this regard, we try to study the role of the great powers, especially the United States and Russia, based on a descriptive-analytical method and using historical data.