Global Interstate System and Sovereignty

Global Interstate System

• It's a network of sovereign states interacting globally
• Functions as a system of competing and allying states
• Governed by international laws, such as the UN Charter, treaties, and alliances
• Key institutions include the United Nations, WTO, and regional blocs

The Nation State

• A relatively modern phenomenon in human history
• People have not always organized themselves as countries
• Composed of two non-interchangeable terms, because not all states are nations and vice versa

State

• Refers to a country and its government
• Independent political communities each of which possesses a government and asserts sovereignty in the Earth's surface and population

Elements of a State

• A State must have a population
• The population may be homogenous or diverse in terms of culture, language, and ethnicity
• A State must have defined geographical area with recognized boundaries, including land, airspace, and territorial waters
• A State requires an organized political structure or government that creates and enforces laws, maintains order, and represents the state in international relations
• Sovereignity: Supreme authority over its territory and population, free from external control
• Internal authority means no individuals or groups can operate in a given national territory by ignoring the state
• External authority means state's policies and procedures are independent of the intervention of other states

State Rights

• Govern people within its borders
• Self-determination
• Impose the country's policy
• Take over issues in its jurisdiction

Nation

• "An imagined political community"
• Group of people who share common cultural elements such as language, history, ethnicity, traditions, and collective sense of identity
• A nation may not have its own sovereign government or defined territory

Characteristics of a Nation

• Nations typically share cultural traits, creating a shared identity
• Often shares a common historical experience, including struggles, victories, and figures that shape its collective memory
• A common language or dialect helps unite a nation, though some nations may be multilingual
• Many nations share an emotional or historical connection to a land, even if they do not control it
• Some nations form based on ethnic commonalities
• Often bound by a collective sense of belonging, national pride, and loyalty among its people

Nation vs State

• A nation is a cultural and social entity, whereas a state is a political and legal entity
• A nation-state exists when a nation and a state coincide
• Some nations do not have a state of their own

Internationalism

• Born out of the desire for greater cooperation and unity among states and people, a system with heightened interaction of various sovereign states
• Divided into liberal internationalism and socialist internationalism

Neoliberalism

• An economic and political ideology that advocates for free-market capitalism, limited government intervention in the economy, and the privatization of public assets
• Relies on free markets where supply and demand determines the prices, resources are allocated efficiently and businesses are left to operate without state interference
• Privatization is the privatization of state-owned enterprises, because private companies are described as more efficient than the government in managing resources
• Deregulation advocates for reducing government regulations in areas like banking, labor, and environmental protections
• Austerity involves cutting government spending, particularly on social services, to reduce deficits and encourage private-sector growth
• Globalization promotes open international trade, free movement of capital, and reduced trade barriers

Liberal Internationalism

• Based on the principles of democracy, free trade, human rights, and the rule of law
• Uses Democratic Peace Theory, which suggest democracies are less likely to go to war with each other
• Multilateralism supports international organizations
• Economic Interdependence views free trade and globalization as as forces for peace
• Claims human rights and the rule of law will result in global governance based on liberal democratic values

Socialist Internationalism

• Rooted in Marxist and socialist thought, class struggles, worker solidarity across border, and opposition to imperialism and capitalism are key elements
• Proletariat Solidarity calls for workers of all nations to unite against capitalist exploitation
• Anti-Imperialism opposes colonialism, neocolonialism, and capitalist domination
• Advocates for socialized economies and wealth redistribution through Collective Ownership
• Some movements have even emphasized Revolutionary Change by overthrowing capitalism rather than reforming it

Perspectives on Internationalism

• Immanuel Kant likened the states in a global system to people living in a given territory
• Kant argued that without a form of world government, the international system would be chaotic
• Jeremy Bentham advocated for the creation of “international law" to govern the inter-state relations
• Giuseppe Mazzini reconciled nationalism with liberal internationalism
• Mazzini believed that a republican government and proposed a system of free nations that cooperated to create an international system
• Woodrow Wilson considered nationalism as a prerequisite for internationalism
• The principle of self-determination is a belief that the world's nations had a right to free, sovereign government
• Karl Marx was an internationalist, but did not believe in nationalism
• Marx believed any true form of internationalism should deliberately reject nationalism, which rooted people in domestic concerns instead of global ones

Global Interstate System Attributes

• Countries or states are independent and govern themselves
• Countries interact with each other through diplomacy
• International organizations facilitate interactions
• International organizations also take on lives on their own

Development of World System

• World systems perspective emerged during world revolution of 1968 and the antiwar movement
• World-systems are whole systems of interacting polities and settlements

World Systems Theory

• A Social Science theory developed by Immanuel Wallerstein in 1970s which helps determine the global inequality and how different regions and nations are interconnected within the larger global system
• Divides the world into core, semi-periphery, and periphery, which reflects the power dynamics, economic relationships, and social structures of global capitalism
• Core nations dominate and control global trade and wealth as the most economically advanced
• Semi-periphery is in between the core and the periphery
• Periphery are the countries are the least economically developed and reliant on trade

International System

• All states are considered sovereign, but some are more powerful than others
• It has a number of informal rules about how the things should be done, but are not binding

Treaty of Westphalia

• A series of peace treaties that ended the Thirty Years' War in the Holy Roman empire and Eighty Years' War between Spain and the Dutch Republic
• Established the modern international system
• Led to birth of diplomacy and the use of diplomatic congresses and negotiations to resolve conflicts
• Formed the Westphalian System, where the idea of sovereign, independent states became central to international relations

Concert of Europe

• An alliance of "Great Powers", which was a system of international diplomacy and cooperation established after the Napoleonic Wars to maintain stability and prevent major conflicts in Europe
• An informal agreement among the great powers to preserve the balance of power and suppress revolutionary movement
• Maintained by these great powers: UK, Austria, Britain, Prussia, Russia, and later Francce

New World Orders

• Defined as periods when international relations undergo significant transformations, often after major wars or political upheavals
• One such order was post-Napoleonic war which established Concert of Order by the Congress of Vienna to preserve: balance of Power, Monarchy restoration, suppression of revolutions
• Another began post World War I, and was expressed by President Woodrow Wilson Fourteen Points advocate for self-determination and global cooperation which gave way to: League of Nations to prevent future conflicts, Collective security, diplomacy ending war, end of empires
• Post World War II: Bipolarity: was a new global order formed around two superpowers: The United States of America and the USSR, where the United Nations replaced League of Nations, the world divided into a Bipolar world with a US-led capitalist bloc vs. USSR-led communist bloc and Cold War Conflicts emerge
• The end of the Cold War: Unipolarity and Globalization lead to the rise of:
• The US as the sole superpower after the fall of the Soviet Union
• George H.W. Bush used the phrased "New World Order" to describe a system based on democracy
• The US dominance in global affairs,
• Expansion of NATO and the EU
• Rise of Globalization and International institutions where liberal democracy and economic neoliberalism spread
• Emerging New World Order: shifts toward a Multipolar order, where the: •
• Global balance of power shifts into a multipolar world,
• Decline in US unipolar dominance has occurred
• China, the US, Russia, the EU, are major powers
• Presence of geopolitical tensions
• Growth of regional Alliances like (BRICS, ASEAN, African Union)

Institutions that Govern International Relations

• Includes IGOs (Intergovernmental Organizations) and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations)
• The United Nations is the world's leading international organization with 193 member states founded on October 24, 1945 after WWII
• Its stated goal is to promote peace, security, and cooperation among nations
• It has become vital for the worlds: international diplomacy, humanitarian aid, human rights, and sustainable development
• Objectives and Principles:
• Maintaining international peace and security
• Promoting human rights and fundamental freedoms
• Encouraging social and economic development
• Upholding international law
• Providing humanitarian aid during crisis
• The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans, grants, and technical assistance to developing countries for infrastructure, economic development and poverty reduction
• One of its main goals is to reduce global poverty and promote sustainable development Functions and Objectives:
• Poverty reduction
• Infrastructure Development
• Climate Action
• Crisis Response
• Financial Stability
• International Monetary Fund is the global financial stabilizer
• Provides financial assistance, policy advice, and economic monitoring to countries facing economic instability Functions and Objectives:
• Financial Assistance
• Economic Surveillance
• Technical Assistance and Capacity Development
• Exchange Rate Stability
• Asian Development Bank is a regional financial institution that provides loans, grants, and technical assistance to promote economic development in Asia and the Pacific
• Founded in 1966 and headquartered in Manila, Philippines Functions and Objectives:
• Financial Assistance
• Technical Assistance and Policy Advice
• Regional Integration and Trade Promotion
• Private Sector Investment
• African Development Bank is a regional multilateral development bank established in 1964 in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire to support the economic growth and development of African countries
• Functions and Objectives are:
• Financial Assistance
• Policy advice and Technical Assistance
• Promoting Regional Integration
• Private Sector Development

Types of NGOs include:

• INGO (International Nongovernmental Organization)
• BINGO (Business-oriented Nongovernmental Organization)
• RINGO (Religious-oriented Nongovernmental Organization)
• ENGO (Environmental Nongovernmental Organization)
• GONGO (Government-operated Nongovernmental Organization)
• QUANGO (Quasi-autonomous Nongovernmental Organization)

Nationalism vs Globalism

• Nationalism is an ideology based on the premise that the individual's loyalty and devotion to nation-state surpass other individual or group interests
• Globalism places the interests of the entire world above those individual nations.
• Globalism views the entire world as a proper sphere for one nation to project political influence

Global Governance

• Refers to global governance on a global scale
• Defined as "The sum of laws, norms, policies, and institutions that define, constitute and mediate trans-border relations..."
• Government is a formal body that is solely responsible for governance of specific institutions within a jurisdiction
• Governance refers to the rules, institutions, and officials that have the power to shape the behavior of actors in the system

Characteristics of Global Governance

• By Weiss and Thakur (2014), it's described as:
• An authority that is constantly shifting and where the patchwork of institutional elements varies by sector
• Where all actors depend upon multilateralism and the underwriting of regularity and public goods in the international system
• Relies on global governance actors who are viable an reconstituted in line with 21st century principles of governance and legitimacy, international organizations and the values of multilateralism embedded in them must be viable and reconstituted in line with 21st century principles of governance and legitimacy
• The key actors is international organizations such as the UN
• Global governance actors must be capable of addressing contemporary challenges effectively Global governance is a rules-based order without government
• Global governance is not a supplement, rather a surrogate for authority and enforcement for the contemporary world
• The emergence of global governance comes from a:
• growing recognition of problems that defy solutions by a single state
• growth in the numbers and importance of non-state actors (civil society and market)
• The UN is both global governance actor and site
• Good global governance implies an optimal partnership between the state, intergovernmental, and nongovernmental categories of actors

Sources of Global Governance

• States sign treaties and form organizations to help the process of drafting and legislating public international law
• International Non-government Organizations (NGOs) may not have formal state power, but still influence government or states to behave in a certain way

International Organizations

• International intergovernmental organizations or groups are primarily made up of member-states
• They are formed by multiple countries to work together on common issues
• Include IOs such as the IMF, World Bank, and UN and INGOs such as like International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Greenpeace, Amnesty International, and Doctors Without Borders (MSF)

Power of International Organizations

• They exert their Power of Classification -- can invent and apply categories, and create global standards
• They exert their Power to Fix Meanings – they address concepts in order to be well-defined as they are viewed as legitimate sources of information by states
• They exert their Power to Diffuse Norms - can define and/or forward accepted codes of conduct or behavior

The United Nations

• The leading facilitator of global dialogue in upholding the global harmony among nation-states, strengthening connectivity and interrelationship

Organs of the United Nations

• The UN General Assembly is the main deliberate body which discusses global issues and adopts resolutions
• UN Security Council is in charge of maintaining international peace and security
• It can impose sanctions, authorize military actions, and deploy peace keeping missions
• Includes 15 members, consisting of 5 permanent members with veto power and 10 rotating members elected for two years
• UN Secretariat administer the UN's daily operations and oversees peacekeeping, mediation, and crisis response
• International Court of Justice is the are the primary court which settles legal disputes between states and provides legal opinions and is located in The Hague, Netherlands
• UN Economic and Social Council coordinates economic, social, and environmental policies and works with WHO, UNESCO, and IMF
• Trustee Council controls territories under UN supervision

Principles of UN

• Sovereign Equality of States:
• All member states of the UN are equal in sovereign regardless of their size, economic power, or political influence
• Peaceful Settlement of Disputes:
• Countries must resolve conflicts through diplomacy, negotiation, mediation, or legal means, avoiding violence
• Prohibition of the Use of Force:
• Nations are forbidden from using force against another country except in self-defense or with UN Security Council approval
• Non-Interference in Domestic Affairs:
• The UN cannot intervene in the internal politics of member states unless there is a threat to international peace
• Right to Self-Determination:
• All people have the right to freely determine their political status and pursue economic, social, and cultural development
• Collective Security
• If one country threaten peace, the UN take collective action
• Promotion of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedom:
• The UN upholds universal human rights, dignity, and freedoms without discrimination
• International Cooperation:
• Member states must work together on global issues like poverty, climate change, health, and development

Gaps in Global Governance

• Knowledge Gaps
• Normative Gaps
• Policy Gaps
• Institutional Gaps
• Compliance Gaps
• Lack of Enforcement Mechanisms because many global agreements lack strong enforcement mechanisms, relying on voluntary compliance
• Power Imbalances and Inequality in Decision-Making because global institutions are often dominated by powerful nations, with limited influence developing countries
• Fragmentation of Global Institutions, meaning different international organizations operate independently, leading to overlapping mandates, inefficiencies, and conflicts
• Weaker Global Health Governance is highlighted by the number of health issues exposing weaknesses in global health governance
• Inadequate Climate Governance is underscored by the fact that international climate agreements rely on voluntary commitments
• Cybersecurity and Digital Governance is lacking due to there There are no clear global regulations on issues like cybercrime, data privacy, and artificial intelligence
• Economic Inequality and Debt Crisis occur because global economic governance often prioritizes economic growth over equity, leading to growing wealth
• Migration and Refugee Crisis Management experiences failures due to the fact that there is no comprehensive global system exists for managing migration and refugee crises
• Weak Arms Control and Nuclear Non-Proliferation exists because International agreements, like the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and Arms Trade Treaty, are undermined by geopolitical tensions
• Effective global governance would allow for an end to armed conflict deal with new and emerging problems and challenges allowing us to achieve new levels of prosperity and progress

Explore the global interstate system, sovereignty, and their implications. The resource covers internal and external sovereignty, nations, and states. Potential conflicts between national and state rights, and examples of limitations on state sovereignty are discussed.