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Nguyễn Như Thảo

Introduction to International Relations

M.A Hoàng Cẩm Thanh

20 November 2021

Is state sovereignty now an outdated concept? And why?

After the Treaty of Westfalia in 1648, the definition of state sovereignty was

established. However, this concept has been controversial since its birth. From mid-20th

to 21st century, more people are skeptical about the responsibility of state sovereignty,

and under some perspectives, it seems to be outdated. This essay substantiates that the

term of state sovereignty is now quite an outdated concept hinging on four main

reasons: the increase of non-station actors; the permeable state borders, collective

dilemmas, and international human rights.

Firstly, state sovereignty is being faded over times because there is a

proliferation in the number of non-state actors. The outbreak of TNCs, NGOs are

taking over state responsibilities, so that states now are not the only actor in

international relations anymore. A more detailed look under the pressure of

globalization reveals that there has been a significant impact of TNCs on state

sovereignty due to the great financial power and ease of movement over international

trade. To illustrate the point, Samsung - a company having plants and sales networks in

80 countries - is not only able to relocate production and investment, but it also can

shape one state’s economic future. In 2017, Samsung holds the total revenue of $223,

approximates Vietnam’s GDP. The risen in power of non-governmental organizations

is demonstrated by the fact that they are able to exert global influence. Therefore, state

security is as likely to be threatened by global organizations.

Secondly, the state borders are permeable because

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they are not as strict and solid. Some external factors such as tourism, the movement

of knowledge, time or space theories, information via the Internet has raised people’s

awareness of global issues like climate change. The attention towards that situation

encourages cooperation between states, which threatens the state’s sovereignty as well.

Its borders seem not easy to keep the internal information due to the advance of

technology.

Thirdly, it’s undisputed that collective dilemmas seem challenging to states in

the modern era because nation-states are too small to fix global problems such as

energy, climate change, pandemic; or if they have, their solutions are too ineffective

and consequent disillusion with democratic politics. For instance, high tax rates in one

country may be intentionally undercut by competitors, and the only feasible answer is

an international agreement on tax avoidance, evasion, and minimum tax rates. We are

now living in a world of climbing global problems that one state can not tackle itself;

so it is not exaggerative to say that only international organizations may deal with these.

Lastly, the promotion of human rights over state sovereignty shows that the

ideal sovereign state doesn’t prevail. Human rights sometimes were grossly abused; yet,

multilateral interventions and non-state actors aided in the human rights’ improvement.

When an individual feels as if the state is not doing its role in protecting the citizens’

rights, humanitarian intervention can take place, which contributes to state

sovereignty’s erosion. This is evident in shifts in international laws and the wider

acceptance of humanitarian intervention.

To recapitulate, while state sovereignty is such an important concept, a

numerous external factors is outdating the state’s sovereignty. Due to four main

reasons above, as a result, state sovereignty has become obsolete, particularly in the

twenty-first century.
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Works Cited

John H. Jacksons. Sovereignty - Modern: A New Approach to an Outdated Concept.

George Town University Law Center, 2003.

Muhittin Ataman. The Impact of Non-State Actors on World Politics: A Challenge to

Nation-State. Alternatives: Turkish Journal of International Relations, Vol.2,

No.1, 2003.

Per Sevastik, Aspects of Sovereignty: Sino - Swedish Reflections. Martinus Nijhoff,

2013.

John D. Ciorciari. Sovereignty Sharing in Fragile States. Stanford University Press,

2021.