Skip to main content

foreign perspective

doctrine of discovery

The doctrine of discovery refers to a principle in public international law under which, when a nation “discovers” land, it directly acquires rights on that land. This doctrine arose when the European nations discovered non-European lands, and therefore acquired special rights, such as property and sovereignty rights, on those lands.

foreign direct investment

The International Monetary Fund (“IMF”) defines foreign direct investment (“FDI”) as a “cross-border investment” in which an investor that is “resident in one economy [has] control or a significant degree of influence on the management of an enterprise that is resident in another economy.” See:

foreign relations

Foreign relations law of the United States encompasses both international law, which embodies the rules that determine the rights and obligations of states and international organizations, and that part of the domestic law of the United States that involves matters of significant concern to the foreign relations of the United States.

Subscribe to foreign perspective