Impact of Globalisation on the State

Question 1

what is the relationship between globalisation and sovereignty?

Answer 1

the relationship between globalisation and sovereignty is the extent to which independent sovereign states are able to control the forces of globalisation

for example, can states insulate themselves from economic and financial shocks in the international system? or can they no longer act as single units?

Question 2

what is the growing realisation between states?

Answer 2

there is a growing realisation among states that they need to work together to achieve common goals and that common problems need common solutions

there has subsequently been an effort among states to pursue common approaches to global and regional problems through global and regional governance institutions like the UN, the IPCC, the EU and ASEAN

the existence of these institutions can be seen as an acknowledgement that states are no longer as sovereign as they once were

Question 3

factors behind the widening and deepening of interconnectedness and interdependence

Answer 3

cost of communication

cost of transport

human links

Question 4

factors behind increasing interconnectedness: cost of communication

Answer 4

a key factor behind globalisation is the rising speed and frequency of communication

technology has had a huge impact and brought huge changes, from the development of the printing press to the telegram to the telephone and to the digital technology of today

mass communication that is virtually instantaneous is now available to billions of people who can use the internet on tablets and mobile phones and access the latest news 24 hours a day

the cost of communication has fallen just as rapidly — today, sending an email or using social media to share information online is virtually free

this increases globalisation, which challenges state sovereignty as states are increasingly interconnected and can no longer act as independent entities

Question 5

factors behind increasing interconnectedness: cost of transport

Answer 5

like communication, the speed and cost of transport has changed hugely

in 1800, it would take 2 months for a ship to cross the Atlantic Ocean with its cargo, but today a ship can make the same journey in less than a week and a plane can cross the Atlantic in around 5 hours

consequently, the costs of transportation have fallen as well

meaning that transportation costs are no longer prohibitive when it comes to moving goods around the world, which makes global supply changes possible

it also makes the production of goods in other parts of the world possible, meaning that fresh produce can be shipped from a field in one continent to a supermarket in another in a matter of days

this increases globalisation and thus challenges state sovereignty

Question 6

factors behind increasing interconnectedness: human links

Answer 6

migration has increased due to the low-costs of staying in contact and the relatively low cost of travel to different countries and regions

globalisation and economic growth have encouraged workers to move to countries with high economic development in search of a better life

Gulf states like Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are very wealthy due to oil production, which has encouraged economic migrants to move to those countries to work

over 50% of the population of these states is now made up of immigrants and both Australia and Switzerland have migrant populations approaching 30% of the total

increasing wealth and leisure time have also led to a huge change in holiday patterns, including the growth of international tourism and long haul travel

as people travel, they meet new people, experience different cultures, form links with each other and stay in touch, thus increasing the interconnectedness of states

increases cultural globalisation, decreases state sovereignty

Question 7

case study of interconnected trade (demonstrates how interconnected and interdependent the world has become)

Answer 7

the UK imports almost half of its food — this includes food that needs to be grown in warmer climates such as bananas and oranges as well as food to satisfy the year-round demand for fruit and vegetables that would be off-season in the UK

despite having a significant farming industry that exports a considerable amount of its produce, the UK is not self-sufficient in food

between 40-50% of food consumed in the UK is imported from overseas, including around 25% from EU countries — this reliance on imported food is only likely to increase further

examples of staple foods imported to the UK from overseas include tea, coffee, cocoa, bananas, oranges, rice and peanuts

both international trade and the UK’s food security are reliant on factors outside of the UK’s control — things like environmental disasters, poor harvests, animal epidemics and fluctuating currencies can all impact the price and availability of food in the UK

the UK also imports vast numbers of cars and other vehicles, the oil and electricity to power these vehicles, pharmaceuticals, gems and precious metals and clothing — figures suggest that 90% of clothes worn in the UK are imported from overseas

the UK is also reliant on the export of many products and this two way trade is necessary for the prosperity of the UK, including securing employment and low-cost goods for consumers — for example, the largest food/drink export from the UK is whiskey, worth £5 billion a year

this demonstrates that the UK is part of an interdependent and interconnected world

Question 8

challenges to state control over citizens caused by globalisation

Answer 8

in recent years, the emphasis on states as key actors in the international system has been harder to sustain

there is now a host of actors in the international system, including terrorist organisations like ISIS, TNCs like Nike, global pressure groups like Amnesty International, religious leaders, NGOs like Oxfam and global movements

all of which can increasingly be seen to have increasing influence in global politics

liberals argue that such a non-state actors significantly influence the world today and mean that the state is no longer the principal actor in the international system

it can be argued that states are less likely to be able to exercise their sovereignty in the face of global challenges due to the rise of such nonstate actors

Question 9

why do some people argue that there is no such thing as international law?

Answer 9

some argue that there is no such thing as international law because laws are sets of rules that can be enforced

however, a key aspect of the international system is the sovereignty of states, meaning that there is no higher authority than the state so international law cannot be enforced

there are no global police that can arrest a country and take them to a global court or throw them in a global prison

this can happen within a country where people are bound by the laws of the land and can be punished by the state because the law is superior to the individual, but there is no such compulsion in the international system so no laws are inforcible internationally

Question 10

why do some people argue that there is such a thing as international law?

Answer 10

to others, international law is a set of international norms and standards of international behaviour — while these are not enforceable, they are highly respected

the community of states have approved of these standards and there is a strong consensus over many rules

even though international law cannot be enforced in the way that national law can, there are numerous reasons why states would still obey it….

• it is in their interests to do so — if they do not stay within international laws, nobody else will, therefore obeying the rules makes life more predictable and ordered for everyone
• international law can carry a certain legitimacy and obeying it gives a country soft power (the ability to attract and shape the preferences of others through appeal and attraction) or respect in the modern world
• it is the morally right thing to do — states that believe in the rule of law should practice what they preach and apply this principle internationally too
• not obeying international law can lead to a state being isolated or in some circumstances punished — international law clearly does exist and there can be punishment of individuals who are personally responsible for crimes, there have been special tribunals dealing with such crimes and there is now an International Criminal Court (ICC)

Question 11

what is humanitarian/forcible intervention?

Answer 11

military intervention carried out in the pursuit of humanitarian objectives rather than other objectives

Question 12

what is the key tension in the international system between humanitarian intervention and sovereignty?

Answer 12

a key tension in the international system is between the principle of non-intervention in the domestic affairs of other states and the moral case for intervention when a humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in another state

there are questions about whether the world should stand by while innocent people are facing genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes or whether states should intervene, thus dismissing the principle of national state sovereignty

Question 13

since the Holocaust, what has there been greater support for?

Answer 13

there have been numerous cases where the international community stood by and did nothing as human rights were routinely violated

but it can be argued that since the Holocaust, there has been a great support for the idea that the international community should act if crimes against humanity are taking place in another country

Question 14

problems with humanitarian intervention

Answer 14

using force in such situations raises considerable moral and legal questions….

• intervention may merely be a form of Westernisation and cultural imperialism
• intervention is not guaranteed to make the situation any better
• intervention goes against the principles of state sovereignty

Question 15

problems with humanitarian intervention — a form of westernisation and cultural imperialism

Answer 15

forcible humanitarian intervention assumes that there are universal moral absolutes that unite the world

but these may actually be Western inventions and a form of cultural imperialism

perhaps Western powers use intervention on humanitarian grounds as an excuse to increase their own power and further their own national interests, or even as a pretext for the annexation of another state

for example, the Iraq War

Question 16

problems with humanitarian intervention — not guaranteed to make the situation any better

Answer 16

humanitarian intervention is not guaranteed to make the situation any better

indeed, the use of force to prevent humanitarian catastrophes often escalates war and increase violence, which may lead to the loss of even more lives

it can be seen to go against the just war theory as it is not always a last resort and could lead to disproportionate responses and the loss of more lives

for example, in the cases of Iraq and Afghanistan, intervention caused further instability in the region which led to the rise of militant Islam and anti-Western views and enabled ISIL to gain influence and power

Question 17

problems with humanitarian intervention — goes against the principles of state sovereignty

Answer 17

forcible intervention goes against the principles of state sovereignty by interfering in the internal affairs of another state

there is a clear challenge to state sovereignty if humanitarian intervention is increasingly permitted by the international community

Question 18

what else, relating to human rights, challenges state sovereignty?

Answer 18

not only does humanitarian intervention challenge state sovereignty, the International Criminal Court (ICC) does too

it is based in the Hague in the Netherlands

while some significant global actors have not signed up, including the USA, China and Russia, the ICC is the first permanent international criminal court in the world

it has considerably advanced the concept of a higher international law — a large number of states have agreed definitions of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity and have accepted that these crimes can be tried at an international level

this suggests that there is a little less anarchy in the international system and that states are not as sovereign as they once were

Question 19

what has been an attempt to find a compromise between state sovereignty and humanitarian intervention?

Answer 19

an attempt to find a compromise between state sovereignty and humanitarian intervention has been the doctrine of responsibility to protect (R2P)

this doctrine has been in place since 2005 and focuses on the idea that state sovereignty comes with responsibilities

part of a state’s sovereignty is the responsibility to protect its own citizens and if the state fails to uphold this responsibility, the responsibility to protect falls on the international community, thus allowing for humanitarian intervention through force

Question 20

is state sovereignty an outdated concept?

Answer 20

YES — states can no longer be said to be sovereign as the centrality of states is challenged by….

• the rapidly declining cost of communication and transport, which increases globalisation and challenges state sovereignty
• increasing human links
• challenges to state control over citizens in areas such as law
• the development of international law
• increasing humanitarian intervention
• increasing influence of nonstate actors in the international system

NO — states are still sovereign because…

• there is no higher power than the state, so international law is not enforceable

Question 21

has globalisation undermined state sovereignty? YES

Answer 21

state borders are increasingly porous to people, capital and culture, so sovereignty has declined in significance

there has been a rise in nonstate actors such as TNCs, NGOs and terror organisations which operate outside the constraints of sovereignty and lessen states’ power

the trend towards regional and global governance to tackle global issues, such as environmental degradation, poverty and humanitarian crises, has undermined sovereignty

the growing role of international law around human rights and a growing global rights culture has seen the rise of bodies such as the ICC and of humanitarian intervention, which erodes state sovereignty

Question 22

has globalisation undermined state sovereignty? NO

Answer 22

the borderless world is nonsense — as seen in the huge number of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees who are stuck in holding camps and the creation of the Great Chinese Firewall to control the flow of information into the state

states remain the key actors on the world stage, have re-emerged in relation to 9/11 and the global financial crisis and nearly all states still have internal sovereignty, apart from failed states

regional and global bodies are formed for states, by states — by working together, states are not undermining sovereignty but pooling it with other states to increase their collective power

Trump and the idea of ‘America First’ in relation to NATO, NAFTA and the Paris Agreement threatens to weaken global governance, demonstrating the central importance of states and shows that if states don’t comply with such organisations, those organisations are reduced in effectiveness

while the move towards a global rights based culture may be taking place in the West, China remains firmly wedded to its Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which includes mutual respect for territorial integrity and sovereignty

with China’s rise in power, if it continues to assert sovereignty as a key principle, it will be a hammer blow to interventionists

Question 23

difference in realist and liberal opinion on globalisation

Answer 23

the way in which globalisation has impacted state sovereignty is very controversial

realists have generally argued that by challenging the nation states centrality in international relations, globalisation is dangerously destabilising

however, liberals argue that it creates greater prosperity and makes the resolution of global collective dilemmas easier

Question 24

in what ways has globalisation challenged the nation state? in what ways is state sovereignty no longer important? are states still sovereign?

Answer 24

economic globalisation

intergovernmentalism

regional organisations

the internet

non-governmental organisations

challenges from below

Question 25

globalisation has challenged the nation state: ECONOMIC GLOBALISATION

Answer 25

since the world is so closely economically connected, states cannot insulate themselves from global financial crises, such as the 2008 collapse of US bank Lehman Brothers the huge financial influence of TNCs, such as Apple, Google and Microsoft, also means that states need to shape policy in such a way as to attract investment from TNCs nation’s policymakers are therefore primarily concerned with creating conditions that are favourable for foreign investment, which significantly reduces a state’s freedom of manoeuvre global acceptance of economic liberalism, encourages by the Bretton Woods institutions, further restricts the economic choices that governments can take, since in order to attract trade and investment, governments are forced to adopt policies of low taxation and free market reforms, sometimes at the expense of workers’ rights states clearly have less freedom of action, and according to Susan Strange “markets are now the masters of governments”

Question 26

globalisation has challenged the nation state: INTERGOVERNMENTALISM

Answer 26

in an increasingly interconnected world, the interests of nation states are bound together with IGOs such as the IMF, World Bank and WTO states have to except the authority of these bodies, even if governments perceive them to be against their national interests — for example, member states have to adopt WTO judgements as lenders of last resort, both the IMF and World Bank impose conditions on recipient states that they have little choice but to accept UN war crimes tribunals and the establishment of the ICC have also been instrumental in developing new universal standards by which states are expected to abide by — they may not have enforcement power, but states are heavily condemned if they do not follow their decisions states accept legal limitations on their domestic jurisdiction in the ECtHR, the ICC and ICJ — according to Kofi Annan, sovereignty must be “responsible”, suggesting that it can be forfeited by unjust acts (R2P) collective dilemmas, such as climate change, nuclear proliferation and terrorism, require intergovernmental solutions and states cannot solve these dilemmas by themselves increasingly, it is IGOs rather than sovereign states that take the lead in addressing these collective dilemmas

Question 27

globalisation has challenged the nation state: REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS

Answer 27

the spread of regionalism has impacted state sovereignty — the EU provides the most advanced example of regionalism as decisions, made by a qualified majority voting on the Council of Ministers, are legally binding to all member states the European Central Bank sets common interest rates for Eurozone members and the Treaty of Lisbon provides the EU with a legal identity so that it can negotiate with sovereign states, as it has done with the signing of the TTIP the majority of EU members still adhere to the Schengen Agreement, which allows passport free travel between member nations other regional organisations such as NAFTA, ASEAN and Mercosur have also imposed certain free trade rules on their members, thereby limiting member states’ sovereignty the pooling of sovereignty with regional organisations such as the EU, ASEAN and NAFTA demonstrate that state sovereignty is becoming less important

Question 28

globalisation has challenged the nation state: THE INTERNET

Answer 28

the increasing reach of the internet compromises states’ physical borders for example, access to anti-government websites and the organising power of social media contributed to the Arab Uprisings the internet can also influence citizens and create new supranational allegiances through, for example, radicalisation which challenges national identity cyber terrorism and cyber warfare further challenge the ability of states to protect their citizens computer hackers can penetrate right to the heart of the government, making the protection of territorial state borders irrelevant to a state’s survival

Question 29

globalisation has challenged the nation state: NGOs

Answer 29

NGOs are challenging the influence of the nationstate as their transnational influence, which the internet facilitates, reaches across borders NGOs include global pressure groups, such as Human Rights Watch and Greenpeace, which now inform political debate across the world celebrities play an increasingly key role in global issues — for example, Angelina Jolie is a UN Special Envoy for Refugees and has addressed the UNSC on the Syrian refugee crisis global foundations, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates foundation and the Clinton foundation, play a huge role in fighting poverty in the developing world while the near total eradication of guinea-worm disease has been due to the Carter Centre demonstrates that it is NGOs and other non state actors that are growing in importance and having more and more influence on the global stage, challenging and undermining the influence of the state states now share power with non-state actors, who make decisions that directly impact on the job prospects and living conditions of people globally

Question 30

globalisation has challenged the nation state: CHALLENGES FROM BELOW

Answer 30

forces from within also challenge the integrity of the nationstate instead of nationalism declining in importance, people still wish to define themselves according to ethnic and nationalist identities, even if this threatens existing state allegiances Kosovo and East Timor’s recent independence has been justified on the grounds of self-determination, while the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014 is based upon the nationalist principle that Crimeans view themselves as Russians rather than Ukrainians in 2014, Scotland only narrowly voted not to secede from the UK and in 2015, Scottish nationalism peaked when the SNP won 56 of the 59 parliamentary seats in Scotland

Question 31

in what ways has globalisation not challenged state sovereignty? how is the nation state and state sovereignty still important?

Answer 31

the limits of liberalism policy and the state national borders and security human rights and civil liberties international law national allegiance state egoism

Question 32

globalisation has not challenged/undermined state sovereignty: LIMITS OF LIBERALISM

Answer 32

the nation state remains the key decision maker when negotiating with other states although there are more opportunities for global cooperation via IGOs and there are many more stakeholders in the political debate than ever before, states still choose the extent to which they cooperate and involve themselves in IGOs and how far they will work with other countries and non-state actors within IGOs, states still wield a lot of power — e.g. the UN is based on the principle of the sovereign equality of all of its members and the permanent five members of the UNSC exercise national vetoes on whether or not to engage in conflict resolution and war most organisations like the UN have no enforcement power, their decisions are merely recommendations and member states retain the right to decide whether to follow them nationstates negotiated the Paris climate change agreement and its success depends upon states being prepared to fulfil their obligations meetings of the G7/8 conclude with communiqués of intentions, but member states retain the rights of whether or not to fulfil them

Question 33

examples of the limits of liberalism and states remaining the key decision makers in global politics

Answer 33

even in the EU, the most advanced example regionalism in the world, member states retain the right to veto on key issues that define a sovereign state, including foreign policy, defence, taxation and non-EU immigration states may enter into relationships with other nationstates in regional organisations and IGOs, which limits their absolute freedom of action, but they are free to withdraw their involvement at any time states can withdraw from regional organisations at any time — Article 50 of the Treaty of Lisbon provides a mechanism by which states may reclaim their sovereignty, as the UK is doing with Brexit President Trump unilaterally withdrew from the TPP and in 2017 he sought to suspend the US Refugee Admissions Program for 120 days, which placed an indefinite ban on Syrian refugees and established a 90 day suspension on anyone arriving from seven predominantly Muslim countries he also capped the number of refugees that the USA would accept in 2017 at 50,000 whether or not states choose to cooperate with eachother therefore remains at the core of global relations

Question 34

examples of states using international institutions for their own gain (globalisation has not undermined state sovereignty)

Answer 34

furthermore, while liberals claim that international organisations provide unprecedented opportunities for states to work together, realists claim that powerful states actually use these organisations to further their own sovereign interests thus, IGOs may strengthen a state’s ability to make decisions rather than challenge it for example, anti-globalises have often accused the IMF, World Bank and WTO of being agents of American free market imperialism it also claimed that China, as the major shareholder in the AIIB, uses the loans it provides as a way of advancing its economic influence across Asia critics claim that the establishment of the Eurasian Customs Union in 2010 represents a way for Russia to regain strategic influence in the newly independent republics that emerged after the dissolution of the Soviet Union

Question 35

globalisation has not challenged/undermined state sovereignty: POLICY AND THE STATE

Answer 35

the state still retains power over most issues that impact the life of its citizens and national governments determine fiscal and tax policy for example, the UK government has decided to focus on developing the country’s infrastructure by expanding Heathrow and constructing HS2, while President Trump’s radical program of tax cuts will have a dramatic impact on US citizens states also determine the way in which citizens are educated, cared for in old-age, while defence policy, immigration and foreign policy are all still decided and implemented at a national level the state also polices the internet — e.g. the Chinese ‘firewall’ is highly effective, allowing the government to censor the material their citizens are exposed to, and the Chinese Ministry of Culture has warned that video streaming sites will be punished if they do not remove violent and erotic Japanese cartoon videoclips Russia has acted legislation that bans undesirable foreign NGOs from operating in the country if they are perceived to threaten the constitutional system of Russia, its defence capabilities and its national security states are not therefore simply the depots through which foreign capital and goods pass, they remain crucial in determining the sort of lives their citizens lead the speed with which Theresa May sought to reaffirm the UK’s special relationship with the USA, following the inauguration of President Trump, further demonstrates the importance of bilateral relations between nation states in 1968, the controversial Conservative politician Enoch Powell told the Conservative party conference: “whatever the true interest of our country calls for is always possible”

Question 36

globalisation has not challenged/undermined state sovereignty: NATIONAL BORDERS AND SECURITY

Answer 36

liberals predicted that globalisation would reduce the significance of state borders and gradually replace them with supra-territorial flows of goods, capital and people, but the opposite has proved to be true terrorist atrocities since the events of 9/11 have instead made states much more determined to protect their borders the US Department of Homeland Security was established in 2002 in order to better police US borders and it is now the third biggest federal employer, with 240,000 employees in 2017 President Trump has also promised to fulfill his manifesto commitment to build a wall on the Mexican border and within days of taking office he banned to travel to the USA from seven Muslim countries the Syrian refugee crisis has also threatened passport free travel within the Schengen Agreement, as seen in 2015 when Russia tightened its visa requirements by demanding fingerprints from foreign visitors from certain countries, including the UK the threat of terrorism has often increased state power over citizens — e.g. in the UK, the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 requires web and phone companies to store everyone’s web browsing histories for a year and if required, provide the security services with access to this information

Question 37

globalisation has not challenged/undermined state sovereignty: INTERNATIONAL LAW

Answer 37

it is difficult to enforce international law or international standards of justice when the ICC was established in 1998, China refused to join, arguing that the statue is “an attempt to interfere with the domestic affairs of the sovereign nation” the USA, another non signatory, signed a number of bilateral trade agreements with other countries obliging them not to submit US personnel to the ICC’s jurisdiction although human rights have gained great international coverage in recent years, the state still determines the extent to which they will abide by international standards of human rights and accept the international arbitration of disputes the judgements of the ICJ require states to accept them if they are to be enforced — for example, in 1992, El Salvador and Honduras agreed to accept the ICJ’s settlement of a border dispute between the two countries however, Israel has consistently ignored the ICJ’s opinion that the wall separating Israel from Palestinian territories is illegal according to international law + in 2016 the UNSC condemned Israel’s building of settlements in the occupied territories but Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has refused to recognise this decision in spite of international condemnation the USA has also not closed down Guantanamo Bay, in spite of international condemnation

Question 38

globalisation has not challenged/undermined state sovereignty: INTERNATIONAL LAW (continued)

Answer 38

international law is therefore soft law for example, when India and Pakistan reneged on their obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons by announcing they had achieved nuclear defence capability, they were criticised but no international action was taken against them in 2014, the organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe declared that the Crimean referendum on whether it should replace Ukrainian with Russian sovereignty was illegal and yet it still went ahead and Russia declared the result binding the limits of international law on state sovereignty are illustrated by former US President George W Bush’s dismissive response to criticism that the invasion of Iraq had infringed international law: “International law? I’d better call my lawyer, he didn’t bring that up to me”

Question 39

globalisation has not challenged/undermined state sovereignty: HUMAN RIGHTS AND CIVIL LIBERTIES

Answer 39

the universalisation of a human rights culture has not been put into practice — states continue to determine the extent of civil liberties they grant their citizens, which depends heavily upon religious/cultural traditions ‘Asian Values’ focus more on the rights of the community than those of the individual + in most Muslim countries, the moral codes of the Qur’an determine human rights in Russia, the Conservative values of the Orthodox Church have increasingly influenced political decision-making indeed, the emphasis of the UDHR on individual human rights is seen in many parts of the world as encouraging Western cultural imperialism states continue to be the main arbiters of human rights.... • in the USA, the death penalty is illegal and yet it is not within the EU • in Western Europe, attitudes towards homosexuality have liberalised but homosexuality is still illegal in a third of the world • the UK does not allow prisoners to vote and yet, according to the ECHR, this is denying prisoners their human rights where one resides, therefore, determines the sort of private life that is available to them rather than any objective standard of human rights

Question 40

globalisation has not challenged/undermined state sovereignty: NATIONAL ALLEGIANCE

Answer 40

liberals anticipated that globalisation would lessen citizens’ allegiance to their nation state, but state loyalty continues to be remarkably potent and seems to be increasing rather than decreasing national identity still matters in determining a person’s sense of who they are, especially in the face of the growing uncertainties globalisation provokes President Putin has reasserted Russia’s sense of its own unique destiny, stating that “we will be sovereign or we will dissolve in the world” and President Trump has expressed his commitment, at the expense of all other considerations, to the American people across Europe, the dominance of pro- European parties has been challenged by the likes of the French National Front, the Freedom Party and Alternative for Germany, all of which want to restore national self-determination Scottish, Palestinian and Basque nationalist movements further illustrate how important nationhood is to those who do not possess it rise of nationalism — Chechnya, Catalonia, Trump’s ‘America First’ doctrine

Question 41

globalisation has not challenged/undermined state sovereignty CASE STUDY: respect for state sovereignty is still at the root of global relations

Answer 41

Julian Assange, the founder of WikiLeaks (a website set up to enable whistleblowers to release classified information to the internet), was accused of rape and molestation while in Sweden in 2010 in 2012, the Swedish government demanded that he be extradited from the UK to Sweden to answer these charges fearing that the USA might then seek his extradition from Sweden, he claimed asylum in the Ecuadorian embassy in London the embassy’s sovereign immunity has thus far protected him from prosecution and he knows that if he leaves the embassy, he will be arrested this illustrates that respect for state sovereignty is still at the root of global relations, since it would be the greatest possible offence to challenge the diplomatic immunity of another nation’s embassy an example did occur in 1979, when Iranian students overran the US Embassy in Tehran, but this provoked international condemnation, thus demonstrating that such actions remain morally and diplomatically unacceptable

Question 42

globalisation has not challenged/undermined state sovereignty: STATE EGOISM

Answer 42

states still act out of sovereign self interest rather than according to more liberal cosmopolitan values the UN did not provide a mandate for the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, yet both the UK and the US ignored this and went ahead with the invasion in order to achieve their strategic objectives in the region in 2014, Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in defiance of international condemnation that it had a legally infringed Ukrainian sovereignty defence spending by China, Russia and the USA is dramatically increasing and China is increasing its presence in the South China Sea by militarising reefs and expanding the reach of its naval manoeuvres the main players in the Syrian Civil War (Iran, Russia, Turkey, the UK and the USA) each have their own strategic objectives in the region, which have undermined attempts to achieve a humanitarian solution acceptable to all and means that the international community has been unable to respond this suggests that states are primarily power maximisers and that realist principles of self interest still play a key role in determining the relationship between states