The Max Planck Encyclopedia of Public International Law (MPEPIL) is an online encyclopedia dealing with international law. It was published under the auspices of Professor Rüdiger Wolfrum, Director of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law until his successor Anne Peters became general editor in 2021. The initiative to compile the MPEPIL began in 2004 and the online version launched in September 2008. It represents a new edition of the Encyclopedia of Public International Law published between 1991 and 2001 by Rudolf Bernhardt. In February 2012, the print edition was published by Oxford University Press. The encyclopedia is peer reviewed.
In a 2013 review of the work, Sean D. Murphy wrote that: "All told, there is little question that the Max Planck Encyclopedia lives up to its claim as the definitive reference work for international law"
Description
MPEPIL is an updated, comprehensive work covering the essential topics in international law. The new work is not just a revision of Rudolf Bernhardt's encyclopedia. Instead, new authors completely rewrote nearly all entries. MPEPIL includes numerous new topics in order to capture the latest developments in international law. To do justice to the changing nature of the law, an increased emphasis has been placed on the relevance of each keyword for contemporary international law. Particular attention has been paid to the contextualization of each topic within international law as well as the presentation of current trends while maintaining a focus on the mainstream/majority view. In order to reach the goal of avoiding a purely Eurocentric perspective the assistance of academics and practitioners from various legal backgrounds and perspectives was obtained already in the early stages of the undertaking. The intention is that MPEPIL is a work that reflects international law from a global perspective while taking into account also regional views.
Contents
MPEPIL currently contains 1,618 articles. A total of 1,700 articles are planned for the site, with four content updates per year. Upon completion, the MPEPIL will cover the following overarching subject areas and article types:
Air law and law of outer space
Diplomacy and consular relations
Foreign relations
History of international law
Human rights
Immunities
Individuals and non-state actors
International co-operation
International courts and tribunals
International criminal law
International economic law and relations
International environmental law
International humanitarian law
International organizations: general aspects
International procedural law
International responsibility
Law of the sea
Law of treaties
Overview articles
Procedural law in international organizations
Regional organizations, institutions and developments
Relationship between international and domestic law
Settlement of disputes
Sources, foundations and principles of international law
Specific armed conflicts
Specific cases and decisions
Specific geographic issues
Specific treaties and instruments
Statehood, jurisdiction of states, organs of states
Subjects of international law
Territory
Theories of international law
Universal international organizations and institutions
Use of force, war, peace and neutrality.
Given that the information contained in many of the articles may become outdated, authors are asked to update their articles once a year in the first three years after electronic publication of the entire MPEPIL.
Personnel and management
Contributors
Over 800 authors from around the globe (74 countries) have agreed to submit articles to the MPEPIL. Among them are not only distinguished professors, judges and legal practitioners, who are involved in international law, but also up-and-coming academics and researchers. The latter have been included in order to promote the progressive character of the MPEPIL.