A state and its sovereignty are the corner stones of international law and international relations, and it is the very core of that system and of international law that is, in many parts of the world, crumbling. The sovereignty of an independent nation covers the whole of its territory. It is not concerned with a nation’s area, whether large or small, wealth, whether rich or poor or its strength, whether strong or weak. This self-governing power is an invaluable jewel to the citizens of a nation in that the citizens of a country are able to solve their own problems in whatever way they see fit. It is evident that a group of people should have the right to determine what they want for themselves with rules that they themselves have evolved. However, upon deeper scrutiny, one sees that this statement is an emotional rather than a rational viewpoint and that in certain situations, countries can be justified in involving themselves in the internal affairs of another.
The internal affairs of a country refer to the politics and the governance of a country. A country is warranted in involving themselves in the internal affairs of another if their own security is at risk. It is in this context that there could be internal political affairs in one country that could have important bearings on the survival of another. The threatened invasion of Cuba by America is an example that shows this. Cuba had allowed the Soviets to set up base in their country and America, in an attempt to protect their own shores, ordered the Soviets to vacate Cuba. Another more recent illustration is the invasion of Iraq by America.
The Essay on Toward a Typology of Food Security in Developing Countries,Governance Division, and International Food Policy Research Institute.
Global Food Supplies Introduction Question 1 Globalization and technology enable food producers to access a wider market, increase opportunities, and competition with food supply and consumption. Countries and agricultural multinationals position their supply systems, according tothe global market. Food supply requires a systematic analysis of the food production processes and ...
It had been speculated that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction in their midst. Due to the fact that this indirectly threatened the countries of the world, the United States invaded Iraq for the purpose of disarmament. These clearly represent cases where the internal affairs in one country affect another and the affected country has the right to protect itself from any possible threat. Countries can also be expected to intervene in the internal affairs of another in cases where the functioning of their country is affected. Thailand intervenes each time there is the occurrence of a civil war in Cambodia. The reason offered is that refugees seek Thailand for safety.
This causes a magnitude of problems for Thailand due mainly to the fact that the refugee presence is alleged to be the cause of increased criminal activity and violence in the country. Countries should refrain from the threat or use of force against any other state unless its sovereignty or security is threatened. On the contrary, there have been cases where countries guise themselves behind human rights issues or humanitarian issues so as to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries. In world war II, Germany invaded Poland for the sole purpose of world domination.
In this case, there was no threat to Germany nor was there any justifiable reason for involving themselves, only Germany’s apparent greed and desire for world conquest. It is agreed that every nation that loves her sovereignty must safeguard it. For the ability of a country to control its own affairs is fundamental in achieving a strong self-serving nation. Interference and involvement in a countries internal affairs by outside forces are inevitable however, are only justified when the country itself is affected.
