Ongoing Effects of Globalisation on National Sovereignty

2076 Words9 Pages
Sovereignty has been one of the fundamental concepts in International Relations since the Treaty of Westphalia and it is enshrined in the UN Charter in Article 2.1. Yet in an increasingly globalised world the sovereignty of states is being undermined and challenged in a variety of ways. Critically analyse the extent to which state sovereignty is being undermined using some of the issue areas covered in the course. Article 2.1 of the United Nations Charter states: “The Organization is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all its Members.” (UN Charter 1945: 3). Retention of sovereignty is an ostensibly important dimension when considering the implications of globalisation. Adjacent to this proposition are several issues of contention, which have long been a central source of consultation when adopting and adapting policy in response to modernised ideals of international polity and relations. To settle this debate, first the term ‘sovereignty’ must be defined in a non nebulous and distinct fashion to generate a list of characteristics which if infringed due to the effects of globalisation, can be said to have been undermined. The purpose of this essay is to identify and evaluate issues of contention underpinning the debate encircling the demise of state sovereignty. The Treaty of Westphalia gave birth to a system of sovereignty, wherein ‘within its borders the state or government has an entitlement to supreme, unqualified and exclusive political and legal authority’ (McGrew 2011: 23). It created a foundation for a system of international relations, however, was established in the mid 17th century and with fairness can be said to have become outdated in its definitions in addition to its tendency towards a realist model. Modern criticisms on the principle of Westphalian Sovereignty have arisen, such as the thought that ‘the principle

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