51. Multilateralism, Sovereignty And Normative Change In World Politics
- Author:
- Amitav Acharya
- Publication Date:
- 05-2005
- Content Type:
- Working Paper
- Institution:
- Centre for Non-Traditional Security Studies, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies
- Abstract:
- This paper examines the role of multilateralism in fostering and managing normative change in world politics, with specific regard to the fundamental norms of state sovereignty. Post-war multilateralism helped to define, extent, embed and legitimize a set of sovereignty norms, including territorial integrity, equality of states and nonintervention. Today, multilateral institutions are under increasing pressure to move beyond some of the very same principles, especially nonintervention, as part of a transformative process in world politics. Without multilateralism, it is highly doubtful that the post-war international order would have been so tightly and universally built upon the norms of sovereignty. And without multilateralism, argues this paper, transition from this normative order now would be difficult and chaotic, as may be already happening as a result of the Bush administrations's challenge to the current multilateral system
- Topic:
- International Relations, Politics, Sovereignty, and Treaties and Agreements
- Political Geography:
- Global Focus