Sovereignty a Good Thing or Essay

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This comes as a result of the idea that along with the right to limit foreign interference the state also has the duty to ensure the safety and security of its population (Buzan, 1983). In the moment when the security of its people is not ensured, the state can no longer be considered sovereign and in control of the country; thus, international forces must intervene in order to reestablish equilibrium, disregarding the sovereign status of the state.

From this perspective, it is rather hard to say that there is one subject which is in complete control of the internal apparatus. We live in a world which is in a continuous state of interdependence. Francis Fukuyama pointed out this aspect in regard to the reconstruction of failed states. In this sense, he argued that poor states or those who have a weak system of governance cannot achieve a proper system of institutions without the support of international organizations (2004). Indeed, western like countries are not in need of further assistance; yet they are dependent on the resources offered by weak states such as Iraq or Afghanistan. Therefore, international organizations have a duty to intervene in order to allow poor or failed states to gain sovereignty in all its aspects.

Despite the fact that international organizations and non-state actors have come to be important elements of the international system, it appears that power and the need to survive will continue to rate more than the need to cooperate and act in a concerted voice. In this sense, power will remain the focus of further research as the main element of international relations. However, this will not be necessarily manifested in terms of armed conflict, despite the recent events in Georgia in which Russia is widely seen as demonstrating its military might (Womack, Dawar, and Walker, 2008). The most important struggles for power will focus on the economic stage where China, India, and the Asia Pacific region are becoming some of the most relevant actors (Sahni, 2007).

In terms of power, the United Nations can exercise its own from the perspective of the role human rights have come to play in world politics. For instance the United Nations is engaged in several missions of observation such as the one from Georgia, or analysis such as the one from the Cote d'Ivoire (UN News Center, 2008). Their role is important because it offers human rights and its protection the visibility needed to draw the attention of the world. Although the role of the United Nations is by far smaller than its founders had envisaged, it is rather hard to imagine a world without organisms such as the UN Human Rights Council or the Declaration on Human Rights.
Power in the next century an take the form of an increasingly important United Nations.

Overall, it can be concluded that the questions raised by global politics today focus on the role of the state in the ever changing architecture of the world. Still, there are several aspects which are likely to remain the same. In this sense, the use of power will continue to be an area of analysis, yet this power is likely to become economic power rather than military one. Moreover, the role of human rights and the defense of human rights is increasing and will put in doubt the role and limits of the sovereignty of the state.

Bibliography

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