No source of international law has generated more controversy and animosity between the doctrine that the general principles of law. This debate has lines of discussion ranging from the purely semantic of the term ‘general principles of law’ to practical areas relating to the role, importance and application of such principles in the context of international relations as well as its role as an independent source or subsidiary of International Law. Currently, the progressive development of the discipline seems to be more closely linked to general principles of law and general principles of Jus Gentium itself. This paper shows that, without them, teleology and axiological and ethical foundations of law would be misleading. Ultimately, the general principles of law and international law are the supreme guidelines to ensure that the legal system does its maximum, ie provide security and legal certainty to an international community increasingly chaotic, complex and plaintiff.