Subduing Sovereignty

The issue of sovereignty and the right to intervene is central to the changes currently reshaping international society and the potential role of UN military operations within it. While the present world order, characterised by a rapid proliferation of new states, is profoundly unstable, the performance of the UN in Somalia, Bosnia, the Western Sahara and Angola graphically demonstrates its inability to deal with current problems. The contributors to this volume lucidly show that the issues involved in redefining sovereignty with reference to a right to intervene, are extremely complex and a consensus is lacking. Key issues are addressed, including territorial sovereignty and the right to self-determination of minorities, the tension between the North and the South with regards to the ethics and legitimacy of intervention, and the tension between the inviolability of state borders and that of the individual. The final chapter summarises the issues and proposes new approaches to the concept of sovereignty and new instruments by which the international community can take steps towards promoting integration and building new communities which transcend traditional divisions.
This volume is an important contribution to a central debate in contemporary international relations and international law, and is suitable reading for academics and professionals.