Since 1995 the world experienced a period of significant advance in international law, norms, and institutions. Progress was particularly intense in the fields of global environment, human security, cultural diversity, and human rights. This wave of multilateral activity led to milestones such as the Kyoto Protocol on climate change (1997), the landmine treaty, the International Criminal Court, or the UNESCO Convention on cultural diversity. Remarkably, most of these advances were not US-led, as in the past. What caused such a burst in global institutions and who were the key founding fathers?

The book reveals the crucial roles played by the European Union, Japan, and Canada (so-called 'Minervian actors') in this fascinating period. It also reveals that they acted with various partners and sub-state actors and with a variety of motivations: they sometimes sought to balance against US dominance; they engaged in normative work with global civil society; or they sought to demonstrate international leadership to their home audience.