state soverignty

Question 1

what is a state

Answer 1

• a basic unit of the international system
• it has to have a defined territory, a permanent population, effective government, and the capacity to enter into international relations
• for example, Kosovo’s limited capacity to enter into international relations as well as disputed territory as Serbia claims Kosovo as its own, means it is still not an official state despite its independence

Question 2

what is state sovereignty

Answer 2

• all states have the automatic right to state soverignty
• it means that state decisions are choices are independent and free from external interference
• this concept was developed to protect less powerful countries from being controlled/ invaded/ abused against their will > prevent war

Question 3

international recogniiton of state soverignty

Answer 3

UN Charter Article 2: UN is based on the principle of sovereign equality of all of its members

Question 4

how does state sovereignty affect human rights

Answer 4

• countries can extinguish human rights wihtout any international interference using state sovereignty. Despite this, state sovereignty must be respected because it protects country’s freedoms and protect less powerful countries from invasions
• however, international communities has developed ways of making it harder to feign state soverignty as an easy way out, through actions such as signing of covenants, or the persuasive powers of UDHR acting as roadblocks
• ## example: North Korea is notorious for its violation of human rights, but claims state sovereignty grants them the right to govern themselves without external interference