9.1 What is Meant by Sovereignty and Territorial Integrity?

Question 1

What does the world political map show?

Answer 1

The world political map shows territories of sovereign nation-states. These are spatially bounded areas of land which physically define independent, self-governing countries. These political units are the dominant entity in the global political system and are considered to be the most important form of spatial governance.

Question 2

The dynamic nature of the map is shown by the formation of what new countries?

Answer 2

• South Sudan seceded from Sudan in 2011, following protracted civil war, border regions such as Abye remain contested.
• Fifteen new countries in eastern Europe and central Asia were formed by secession from the USSR following the demise of the communist regime there 1991
• The Republic of Yemen replaced the Yemen Arab Republic (North) and the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South) in 1990: this was partly to exploit oil fields either side of the former border

Question 3

What is the significance of these border changes?

Answer 3

The significance of these border changes is far more than a matter of territory. They affect sovereignty over populations and physical resources; they influence the economy and social geography of each area, including ethnic groups. And they influence global patterns of trade, and migration, internal and international, for each new country.
The world political map also shows disputed international borders. Examples in South Asia include the claims of India, Pakistan and China in the Jammu and Kashmir area, and the Arunachal Pradesh border between India and China.

Question 4

How has the world political map changed through process of integration- politically strong and economically important groups of countries:

Answer 4

• regional trade blocs such as the EU-although the UK is no longer a member state, the EU had recently expanded by the accessions of Croatia in 2013, Bulgaria and Romania in 2007 and ten other states 2004
• global organisations such as the UN, IMF, World Bank and WTO
• G20 (Group of Twenty) and G7 (Croup of Seven) - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK and USA.

Question 5

What does the term state mean?

Answer 5

The term state refers to the area of land, of an independent country, with well-defined boundaries, within which there is a politically organised body of people under a single government. States therefore are political entities that have territories over which the body politic exercises sovereignty

Question 6

What characteristics do states have?

Answer 6

• Defined territory which is internationally recognised
• Sovereignty in which the political authority is effective and strong enough to assert itself throughout the bounded territory
• Government recognised by other states: often achieved through UN elected membership
• Capacity to engage in formal relations with other states
• independence self-governing
• Permanent population which has the right to self-determination

Question 7

What is state power?

Answer 7

The term state apparatus refers to the set of institutions and organisations through which state power is achieved. These include:
- internal political and administrative organisations
- the strength of legal mechanisms
- the organisation of police and armed forces
- the ability to provide effective health, education and welfare systems
- the ability to regulate fiscal and monetary policies

Question 8

How is there inequality in state power?

Answer 8

Globally there is inequality in the power and influence of states. Some states have the ability to dominate and drive global systems and have significant influence on geopolitical events. Others have little influence and can only react or respond to global change
Economic power can be measured in terms of trade and wealth generated over long periods
Military power may also depend on wealth and government policy.
A state may also be influential in the global spread of its cultural attributes, such as so-called “Americanisation

Question 9

What does state power depend on?

Answer 9

• The ability to exploit natural resources and geographical location
• Human resources such as levels of education, and demographic structure.
• Industrial development, wealth, and the ability to regulate the economy.
• The strength of international trade and the ability to gain access to global supply chains
• Internal political organisations, international relations and government policies
  These factors contribute to the relative fragility/ resilience of a state

Question 10

What is the degree of resilience of a state?

Answer 10

The degree of resilience of a state is measured by the Fund for Peace (FFP) Fragile States Index. The global pattern of state fragility resilience is based on a wide range of social, economic, political and military indicators. Examples include measures of state security, protection of human rights and the impact of refugees.

Question 11

What does the term nation mean?

Answer 11

The term nation refers to a large group of people with strong bonds of identity-they are united by shared descent, history, traditions, culture and language
A nation is different to a state. Spatially, a nation may be confined to one country, or its people may live in an area across adjoining countries, and some may scattered globally in the diaspora. Many states co several national groups.

Question 12

What is an example of a nation?

Answer 12

An example is the Kurdish nation. Kurds are a non- Arab, Middle Eastern population inhabiting the region known as Kurdistan. This is an extensive plateau and mountain area in Southwest Asia, including parts of eastern Turkey, northeast Iraq, northwest Iran, and small areas of Armenia and northeast Syria (Figure 9.7). Traditionally a nation of nomadic herders, Kurds are now mostly semi-nomadic or sedentary. Other examples of nations include Maori, Basque and Sioux nations
Nations do not have sovereignty, the Kurds are a nation united by culture but without a state or sovereign power

Question 13

What is a nation-state?

Answer 13

When a nation has an independent state of its own it is referred to as a nation-state. A nation-state is a state that has sovereignty over a single nation. Japan and France are examples. The boundaries of the state coincide with the geographical area inhabited by the nation.
In modern global politics nearly all states refer to themselves as nation-states, even though many contain citizens of more than one nationality. This is partly because every government attempts to build a sense of national identity among its citizens. In many nation-states the government actively promotes nationality, often through its education system and media, in a process of nation-building

Question 14

What is sovereignty?

Answer 14

“Sovereignty is the absolute authority that independent states exercise in the government of the land and peoples of their territory. The global political system of independent states is therefore based on territorial sovereignty. This is a fundamental principle in understanding modern political geography.

Question 15

What processes sustain sovereignty?

Answer 15

• Internal sovereignty: an independent sovereign state has exclusive authority within its bounded territory and no other state can intervene in its domestic politics.
• External sovereignty: a state cannot simply proclaim sovereignty, it has to be recognised by other sovereign states. This ensures its territorial integrity and its ability to enter into international relations.

Question 16

What does sovereign authority apply to?

Answer 16

Sovereign authority exists beyond the dimension of spatial land area, it also applies to:
- space beneath the Earth’s surface, including rocks, soils and minerals
- agreed areas of sea and sea-bed resources
- agreed air space.
These are important principles because, in the globalised world of the twenty-first century, the concepts of sovereignty and territorial integrity are increasingly being challenged. And these challenges have become potential sources of conflict.

Question 17

What is territorial integrity?

Answer 17

Territorial integrity is the principle that the defined territory of a state, over which it has exclusive and legitimate control is inviolable, i.e.. it must be respected and can never be broken or infringed.
Territorial integrity and sovereignty are interrelated States exercise their sovereignty within a specific territory, the boundaries of which have been established by international law. This provides the framework for the current international political structure based on territorial division and sovereign states.

Question 18

How does the charter of the UN refer to territorial integrity?

Answer 18

The Charter of the United Nations, which aims to maintain international peace and security and be friendly relations among nations, specifically refers to the importance of territorial integrity:
Article 2.4: All Members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political Independence of any state, or in any other ma inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations
The preservation of territorial integrity and sovereignty is therefore important in achieving maintaining international security and stability in the world.

Question 19

What are norms?

Answer 19

Norms are derived from moral principles, customs and ways of living that have developed over time throughout the world. They are universally accepted standards of behaviour. The principles set out in the Charter of the United Nations are based on the long-established and universal norms.
These principles have become important nom understanding sovereignty and territorial integrity are enshrined in international law to be upheld by governments and their citizens

Question 20

What are examples of norms?

Answer 20

Article 2.1: this refers to the importance of sovereignty, the Organisation (the UN) is based on the principle of sovereign equality of all its Members This means that all member states have equal rights to determine their own form of government which they can choose without outside influence- self-determination. Governments are able to make authoritative decisions with regards to the pe resources within their defined territory. But they also have the responsibility to respect the sovereignty of other states

Article 2.4: as we have seen refers to the importance of preserving tentorial integrity and the political independence of states
These are the norms by which the global system of sovereign states with bounded territories is maintained

Question 21

What are other examples of norms?

Answer 21

Further examples of norms relating sovereignty and territorial integrity include the obligations of states to:
- promote and develop friendly international relations
- protect their citizens
- respect promote and full human rights
- allow citizens to be involved in government
- allow citizens the freedom and opportunity to contribute to society
in order to conform to these norms, governments are expected to put in place domestic measures and laws compatible with the UN Charter and any other parties they have ratified. Many norms are reinforced by international treaties or conventions. Over time there has been an increasing number of norms and principles of accepted behaviour established by the UN and in the charters of regional organisations such as the EU, AU and ASEAN Governments that have been unable to fulfil their obligations or responsibilities often because some aspect of their state apparatus is ineffective, rank high in the Fragile States Index.

Question 22

What is intervention?

Answer 22

Intervention is the action of a state, group of states, or intentional organisations in a foreign territory to end gross violations of human rights. The intervention may be an attempt to resolve conflict and humanitarian crises that arise from challenges to sovereignty and territorial integrity

Question 23

What are examples of intervention?

Answer 23

Intervention is controversial. It is argued that the principle of sovereignty, promoted by the UN, is undermined by the very act of intervention even though sanctioned by the UN Security Council. Nevertheless intervention may be deemed necessary in circumstances.
For example:
- A state government fails to protect its citizens from violations of human rights
- Conflict between ethnic groups
- Direct act of aggression by another state, perhaps over territorial claims
- Religious fundamentalism or terrorism have widespread serious impacts
- Civil war as a result of poor or corrupt governance
- TNC’s have negative economic, social or environmental impacts on host countries

Question 24

What is geopolitics?

Answer 24

Geopolitics involves the global balance of political power and international relations. Geopolitical power is very uneven throughout the world. The inequality in power between countries is explained by differences in their wealth, the political strength of their governments, and their level of development.

Question 25

What is the inequality in power of different types of countries?

Answer 25

Advanced Countries (ACS): - These powerful countries, such as the USA, have wealth, high levels of development and politically strong governments They are in a strong position to drive global systems such as international trade and international migration Low-Income Developing Countries (LIDC): - These less powerful peripheral economies such as Sierra Leone or Lao PDR, have limited access to global markets and limited control over international migration Emerging and Developing Countries (EDCs): - These rapidly growing economies, such as India and Brazil are increasingly powerful economically and politically

Question 26

What other organisations are there that exert strong geopolitical influence?

Answer 26

In addition, supranational political and economic organisations such as the UN, EU, MERCOSUR ASEAN and OPEC exert strong, geopolitical influence. And trans-state organisations such as TNCS have increasing impacts on countries in which they locate as globalisation spreads and intensifies. The geopolitics of intervention in sovereignty and territorial integrity issues is therefore very significant. When the international community is called upon to intervene there are important geopolitical considerations.

Question 27

Why is global governance of sovereignty and territorial integrity difficult?

Answer 27

Global governance of sovereignty and territorial integrity issues is therefore complex and multi-faceted. The term encompasses all types of intervention economic, military, the humanitarian work of CSO’s, including NCOs, and reinforcement of a growing number of positive societal and political norms, laws and treaties. The effectiveness of global governance depends on the interaction, co-operation and co-ordination of all organisations involved, at every scale, including the state government.

Question 28

What are intervention-geopolitical considerations?

Answer 28

- Reasons- is the intervention essential/sanctioned by the UN? - Appropriate type of intervention/strategies - Which countries and organisations should be involved - Number and type of personnel deployed and their safety - Estimates/sources of financial costs - Characteristics of the country concerned- economic, demographic, cultural, governance - Impacts on the country/neighbouring areas concerned- social, economic, environmental, political.