This top-down conception, however, captures only part of the picture of
how law operates globally. After all, nation-state bureaucracies may imbibe
institutional roles from each other. Moreover, the “international community”
is not a monolithic entity, but a collection of interests. Similarly, “local”
norms are always contested, even within their communities, and “local” actors
may well invoke “non-local” norms for strategic or political advantage. In
addition, local actors deploying or resisting national or international norms
may well subvert or transform them, and the resulting transformation is sure
to seep back “up” so that, over time, the “international” norm is transformed
as well.