We believe that Devi Sridhar's justification for proposing a Framework Convention on Alcohol Control is problematic (Nature 482, 302; 2012). Standard-setting international laws are largely dictated by powerful states, based on expectations that they themselves already meet, obliging poorer states to implement these 'enlightened' global policies ahead of local priorities. Litigation by foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can also get in the way of national policy-making, particularly as most NGOs are led from the West.

Sridhar's proposal joins growing calls for new international health laws. But first we need more evidence that international laws achieve results commensurate with the cost of drafting, ratifying and implementing them.

In our view, some clear criteria need to be fulfilled before the WHO invokes its law-making authority. These could be set by a commission on global health law. Ill-justified international health laws that dictate poor countries' policies and priorities from afar could prevent serious consideration of initiatives better suited to legal instruments.