Public international law Public international law concerns the
structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities,
such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a
lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational
corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving
beyond domestic legal interpretation and enforcement. Public
international law has increased in use and importance vastly
over the twentieth century, due to the increase in global trade,
environmental deterioration on a worldwide scale, awareness of
human rights violations, rapid and vast increases in
international transportation and a boom in global
communications. The field of study combines two main branches:
the law of nations (jus gentium) and international agreements
and conventions (jus inter gentes), which have different
foundations and should not be confused. Public international law
should not be confused with "private international law", which
is concerned with the resolution of conflict o