This book was designed in 1996, at the time the first edition was published, to meet a perceived need for a work of both an academic and practical character, specifically on the institutional, as contrasted with the functional or operational, law of international organizations. While there was and is some literature on the subject, it did not and does not have an adequate academic orientation or was not or is not sufficiently specialized in the institutional field.

The first edition required updating, revision and addition of a much needed Chapter 8 on judicial organs of international organizations, consequent upon the attention being paid and emphasis being given in the life of international organizations to international administrative courts, particularly, and also to the two ad hoc international criminal tribunals as organs of organizations, in that they are established and financed by organizations.

The fact that the first edition sold out and is out of print was also a consideration for doing a second edition at this point in time. Some useful suggestions made by reviewers of the first edition have been taken into account for this second edition. Generally the book speaks for itself. One of the important characteristics of the book is that it identifies and discusses principles, where they exist, while acknowledging in other areas that practices could differ.