Surname 1

175190539-35.70

177396815

176212993

176248585

Sovereign Paradox

Name:

Course:

Lecturer:

Date:
 Surname 2

Introduction

Sovereignty of independent nations is highly treasured by the international community.

When colonialism was brought to an end, nations across the world established self rule as they

tried to define their future. According to Howland and White, sovereignty refers to the authority

of a given state to govern itself without undue pressure or coercion from external forces (43). A

country may have democratic, monarchial, aristocratic, or dictatorial form of government.

However, as long as the government respects the needs and expectations of its people, it is

expected that the international community will respect its sovereignty. It is expected that there

will be no attempts by foreign forces to manipulate a sovereign states internal affairs either

directly or indirectly. However, Davis says that sovereignty of a nation is dependent on many

factors (78).

The modern society is highly intertwined and nations depend on each other to develop.

Cross-border trade is increasingly becoming important. Nations are also forced to work together

as a unit to combat global challenges such as climate change, global terrorism, and regional

political instability. Socio-political and economic events happening in one nation can affect

many other nations across the ocean. For instance, the political instability in Syria, Yemen, and

Iraq has caused socio-economic and political problems in many European nations, especially in

Germany, France, and United Kingdom as they are forced to deal with the refugee crisis. It is

because of such factors that make it necessary for international community to be interested in the

events happening in each sovereign state. It means that absolute sovereignty does not really exist.
 Surname 3

In what Korsten calls the sovereignty paradox, independent countries are increasingly finding

themselves dependent on the international community (52). In this paper, the researcher seeks to

explain the sovereignty paradox and its possible solution.

Understanding the Concept of Sovereignty

In the modern society, civilization has transformed the manner in which people are

governed. Before the First World War, the world was ruled by a few colonial powers, especially

the European nations. However, this changed after the Second World War as many nations

gained their independence from their colonial masters. As technology transformed the world into

a global village, it became necessary for each country to be allowed to govern itself. The colonial

masters had to appreciate that global stability and peace could only be achieved when people are

allowed to govern themselves. As many countries gained independence from their colonial

masters, power to govern the people shifted from the colonial masters to the local rulers.

Different countries embraced different modes of government based on the prevailing

local conditions. Democracy became the most popular form of government, but there were a

number of cases where some countries were governed by dictators. In a sovereign state, there is

always an effort by the international society to avoid interfering with internal affairs. As long as

the regime has legitimacy to be in power, the international society will always respect the

sovereignty of the nation. Sovereignty of a nation can only be upheld if the people are allowed to

govern themselves without any direct or indirect interference by external forces. This explains

why the relationship between the United States and Russia soured because of the suspicion that

Russia hacked into the electoral system of the United States in the last general election. There

was a feeling that the sovereignty of the United States was compromised by that act of

interfering with its electoral process.

 Surname 4

Sovereign Paradox

In his book, The Sovereignty Paradox: The Norms and Politics of International State-

building Zaum talks about the self contradiction in the concept of sovereignty (44). Since 1945,

the concept of sovereignty has evolved and is currently taking a new shape as the world become

increasingly interconnected. It is apparent that the time when the rulers could do anything they

wanted with their subjects and be protected by the sovereignty of their country is long gone.

Currently, sovereignty can only be legitimized by the way in which it is exercised and the ends

that it seeks to achieve. The global society is evolving, and new standards of civilization are

emerging that did not exist in the past. What happens in one country affects many other countries

across the world. As such, the international society is always interested in the events happening

in individual nations, especially those that may have direct impact on other countries. The

following are some of the factors that may affect sovereignty of a nation.

Democracy

Democracy is currently the most common form of governance in many countries around

the world. Although it has its own challenge, it is a form of governance that allows people to feel

that they are in full control of the manner in which it is governed. In many states across the Arab

world, a wave of revolution against the dictatorial leadership has been witnessed, and in many

instances, the international society is force to step in with the aim of restoring political stability.

Gambia and Cte d'Ivoire are some of the case studies that can be used to illustrate how

sovereignty of a nation can be compromised. In both cases, the incumbents refused to relinquish

power after losing elections in democratic processes. The international society was forced to

intervene, thereby compromising the sovereignty of these nations. In the case of Gambia,

ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) was forced to send its military
 Surname 5

officers to the country, a move that compromises the countrys sovereignty, in order to restore

political stability. In a process that was named Operation Restore Democracy, the West African

forces were able to force President Yahya Jammeh out of power and allow the democratically

elected President Adama Barrow to take leadership of the country. It was a demonstration that

sovereignty of a nation is dependent on a number of factors, one of which is the manner in which

democracy is practiced.

Human Rights

Human rights violation is currently one of the main concerns that the international

community is keen on protecting. Europe, United States, Australia, Canada, and many other

developed countries are currently struggling with the issue of refugees who are fleeing their

countries because of human rights violation. The international community has a responsibility to

receive and care for refugees and those seeking political asylum. However, it comes at a cost.

The host countries have to spend money to take care of the refugees seeking asylum. In Europe,

the concern of high number of refugees goes beyond the economic consequences. Terrorism is

on the rise in Europe, especially in France and Germany, and a section of the society feels that it

is caused by terrorists who come to the country disguised as refugees. It is because of these

socio-economic problems that international society may sometimes be forced to violate

sovereignty of a country in order to intervene when a given regime is violating human rights.

Rule of Law and Effective Administration

The sovereignty of a country is dependent on rule of law and effective administration of a

country. Those who are in positions of power must understand that they are answerable to the

masses. It is the masses that give them the legitimacy to rule, and as such, the rule of law must be

observed. There must be a functional system that allows for the normal functioning of the
 Surname 6

society. In a civilized society, there must be a rule of law that defines how people relate, how

businesses are run, and how rulers exercise their power. In a society that lacks rule of law, there

might be anarchy as everyone might struggle to gain power and amass wealth. The international

society might be forced to step in and restore rule of law to avoid the possible consequences such

as refugee cases.

How to Deal with the Paradox

The sovereignty of a nation is one of the fundamental factors that define a nation. The

ability of an independent nation to govern itself and to define its own future without interference

from the international community is very important. However, it is clear that sovereignty

paradox will always exist in instances where internal events within a country may be of effect to

the international society. When activities of a country threaten its own people or people of

another country, then the sovereignty may be compromised. Those trusted with leadership of a

country must understand that they are responsible for protecting the sovereignty of their country.

To deal with this paradox, leaders must always ensure that the rule of law is upheld and that

there is an effective administration at all times. For countries that have embraced democracy,

leaders must ensure that democratic processes are respected through smooth transition of power.

Human rights violation is a practice that is no longer tolerated in the modern society

because it affects the international community, especially when people are forced to seek asylum

in other countries. Leaders who are keen on protecting the sovereignty of their countries must

start by ensuring that human rights violations are eliminated in all forms. People must be granted

their fundamental freedom and rights as enshrined in the constitution. It is also important for

those in government to ensure that activities done within their countries do not pose threats to the

international society. A country keen on protecting its sovereignty must ensure that it is not a
 Surname 7

breeding ground for terrorists. Its activities also ought not to be posing any direct threat to the

international community.

Conclusion

Sovereignty paradox is a term that is used to explain how the concept of sovereignty is

contradictory in nature. It would be expected that activities of a sovereign nation, especially

those involving how people are led, should not be a concern to the international society.

However, it turns out that there are cases when the international community may be forced to

intervene, militarily or otherwise, when events in a given sovereign state may be of effect to

other countries. It means that sovereignty is dependent on many factors.

 Surname 8

Works Cited

Davis, Kathleen. Periodization and Sovereignty: How Ideas of Feudalism and Secularization

Govern the Politics of Time. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2008. Print.

Howland, Douglas, and Luise White. The State of Sovereignty: Territories, Laws, Populations.

Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2009. Print.

Korsten, Frans-Willem. Sovereignty As Inviolability. Vondel's Theatrical Explorations in the

Dutch Republic. Hilversum: Uitgeverij Verloren BV, 2009. Print.

Zaum, Dominik. The Sovereignty Paradox: The Norms and Politics of International

Statebuilding. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007. Print.