To What Extent has the Balance between State Sovereignty and the Authority of the International Community Shifted in Recent Years?

Abstract

The debate surrounding the authority of the international community and state sovereignty has regained policy as well as scholarly relevance in recent years. Beginning with the Westphalian concept of absolute sovereignty and situating the discussion with contemporary and historical contexts, this essay attempts to examine the extent to which this balance has shifted. The analysis traces the gradual evolution of the framework conditioned by cooperative governance and international law along with exploring how multiple such as, humanitarian intervention, global interdependence, and transitional challenges (terrorism, human right and climate change) and redefining the operational limits of sovereign authorities. The essay argues that while, institutions, legal instruments, and phenomena like R2P have expanded the authority of the international community, the resilient and adaptive status of sovereignty persists and has not been reduced to an absolute one. The essay concludes on a more balanced perspective, seeking a middle path; the contemporary international arena is neither reflective of complete anatomy of states nor sides with dominance of international authority. It is rather an evolving equilibrium, which is shaped by power asymmetry, selective compliance, and interdependence within the global system.